Energy-assisted recording head with C-shaped delivery waveguide core

1. A recording head, comprising:

a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head, the near-field transducer comprising a plate-like, enlarged part with a peg extending from the enlarged part; and

a light delivery waveguide extending from an energy source to the near-field transducer, the light delivery waveguide comprising, proximate the near-field transducer:

a C-shaped core of a first dielectric material, the C-shaped core having a hollow aligned with the near-field transducer; and

a cladding of a second dielectric material that surrounds the C-shaped core.

2. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the hollow faces away from the near-field transducer.

3. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the hollow comprises a rectangular hollow.

4. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the hollow comprises a trapezoidal hollow.

5. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein an outer shape of the C-shaped core is rectangular.

6. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material comprises one of Ta 2 O 5 (tantalum oxide), TiO 2 (titanium oxide), Nb 2 O 5 (niobium oxide), Si 3 N 4 (silicon nitride), SiC (silicon carbon), Y 2 O 3 (yttrium oxide), ZnSe (zinc selenide), ZnS (zinc sulfide), ZnTe (zinc telluride), Ba 4 Ti 3 O 12 (barium titanate), GaP (gallium phosphide), CuO 2 (copper oxide), and Si (silicon).

7. The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a write pole, wherein the near-field transducer is located between the write pole and the light delivery waveguide.

8. The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a sunken disc between the enlarged part of the near-field transducer and the C-shaped core.

9. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped core reduces a size of a region excited by transverse electromagnetic energy in a downtrack direction, thereby reducing thermal background while recording to a recording medium.

10. A hard disk drive comprising the recording head of claim 1 and a recording medium.

11. A recording head, comprising:

a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head, the near-field transducer shaping and directing surface plasmons to a recording medium; and

a light delivery waveguide extending from an energy source to the near-field transducer, the light delivery waveguide comprising a C-shaped core of a first dielectric material, the core having a hollow aligned with and proximate the near-field transducer, the hollow facing away from the near-field transducer, the waveguide further comprising a cladding of a second dielectric material that surrounds the C-shaped core.

12. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein the hollow comprises a rectangular hollow.

13. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein the hollow comprises a trapezoidal hollow.

14. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein the hollow extends less than 100 micrometers away from the media-facing surface.

15. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein an outer shape of the C-shaped core is rectangular.

16. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein the first dielectric material comprises one of Ta 2 O 5 (tantalum oxide), TiO 2 (titanium oxide), Nb 2 O 5 (niobium oxide), Si 3 N 4 (silicon nitride), SiC (silicon carbon), Y 2 O 3 (yttrium oxide), ZnSe (zinc selenide), ZnS (zinc sulfide), ZnTe (zinc telluride), Ba 4 Ti 3 O 12 (barium titanate), GaP (gallium phosphide), CuO 2 (copper oxide), and Si (silicon).

17. The recording head of claim 11 , further comprising a write pole, wherein the near-field transducer is located between the write pole and the light delivery waveguide.

18. The recording head of claim 11 , wherein the C-shaped core reduces a size of a region excited by transverse electromagnetic energy in a downtrack direction, thereby reducing thermal background while recording to the recording medium.

19. A hard disk drive comprising the recording head of claim 11 and a recording medium.