Optical waveguide clad material
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes a waveguide having a core layer and first and second cladding layers on opposite sides of the core layer, wherein the cladding layers comprise a binary oxide composition. In another example, the cladding layers include a ternary or quaternary combination of oxides and/or oxynitrides. In another example, the cladding layers include a silicon oxynitride.
1. A waveguide comprising:
a core layer; and
cladding layers, wherein the cladding layers comprise a binary oxide or a binary oxynitride having an index of refraction of not more than about 1.9.
2. The waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the binary oxide or binary oxynitride has an index of refraction of not more than 1.68.
3. The waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the binary oxide is selected from a binary oxide of Y 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 ; a binary oxide of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 ; or a binary oxide of a metal oxide (MeO x ) and AlO x .
4. The waveguide according to claim 3 , wherein the metal, Me, is selected from Ti, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Ta; and 0<x<3.0.
5. The waveguide according to claim 4 , wherein the metal, Me is Ta.
6. The waveguide according to claim 3 , wherein the binary oxide is a binary oxide of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 and the binary oxide comprises less than 10% Al 2 O 3 .
7. The waveguide according to claim 3 , wherein the binary oxide is a binary oxide of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 and the binary oxide comprises about 7% Al 2 O 3 .
8. The waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the binary oxynitride comprises SiOxNy.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a waveguide comprising:
a core layer;
a partial cladding layer, the partial cladding layer comprising a binary oxide or a binary oxynitride having an index of refraction of not more than about 1.9;
a first cladding layer; and
a second cladding layer;
a near field transducer (NFT) comprising:
a disc; and
a peg,
wherein the NFT is within the partial cladding layer.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the partial cladding layer has a thickness of less than about 100 nm.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the partial cladding layer comprises (Y 2 O 3 ) x —(SiO 2 ) y , wherein 0<x<1, 0<y<1, and x+y=1, Y 2 SiO 5 , Y 2 Si 2 O 7 , MeO x —SiO 2 , or MeO x —Al 2 O 3 .
12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the peg of the NFT comprises gold.
13. A recording head comprising:
a waveguide comprising:
a core layer; and
cladding layers, wherein the cladding layers comprise a binary oxide or a binary oxynitride having an index of refraction of not more than about 1.9;
a near field transducer (NFT); and
an electromagnetic radiation source,
wherein the waveguide conducts electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source to the NFT.
14. The recording head according to claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is ultraviolet radiation, infrared radiation, or visible light radiation.
15. The recording head according to claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is a laser diode.
16. The recording head according to claim 13 , wherein the binary oxide or binary oxynitride has an index of refraction of not more than 1.68.
17. The recording head according to claim 13 , wherein the binary oxide is selected from a binary oxide of Y 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 ; a binary oxide of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 ; or a binary oxide of a metal oxide (MeO x ) and AlO x .
18. The recording head according to claim 17 , wherein the metal, Me, is selected from Ti, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Ta; and 0<x<3.0.
19. The recording head according to claim 13 further comprising a coupler layer that functions to couple the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source into the core layer of the waveguide.
20. The recording head according to claim 19 , wherein the coupler layer comprises SiO x N y ; MeO x —SiO 2 , wherein the metal, Me, is selected from Ti, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Ta, and 0<x<3.0; MeO x —Al 2 O 3 , wherein the metal, Me, is selected from Ti, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Ta, and 0<x<3.0; Y 2 O 3 —Al 2 O 3 ; or Y 2 O 3 —SiO 2 .