Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having symmetric optical side shields

An optically shielded TAMR (Thermally Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head comprising:

• a magnetic writer having a main write pole emerging at a distal ABS (air-bearing surface);
• write pole heat sink layers symmetrically disposed to either side of said main write pole;
• a waveguide formed adjacent to said main write pole configured for directing electromagnetic radiation at a plasmon generator;
• said plasmon generator formed adjacent to said waveguide and positioned beneath said main pole, wherein said plasmon generator is electromagnetically coupled to said waveguide at a distal end of said waveguide, whereby plasmon modes are excited within said plasmon generator, said modes having near-field energy that said plasmon generator is configured to direct at a confined region of a recording medium immediately adjacent to said ABS of said main write pole, within which confined region said near fields produce Joule heating of said recording medium;
• a scalable, metallic peg emerging distally from said plasmon generator and configured to further concentrate said near-field plasmon energy within said confined region of said recording medium;
• and
• a system configured for shielding said recording medium from portions of said electromagnetically coupled optical radiation that are only loosely coupled and may impinge on said recording medium and its surroundings while said write head is operational, said system further comprising:
• a waveguide blocker conformally abutting against said distal end of said waveguide, wherein said waveguide blocker is configured to prevent said loosely coupled radiative energy from said waveguide from being transferred to said confined region of said recording medium and its surroundings;
• and
• optical side shields formed of optically opaque material laterally disposed adjacent to and substantially symmetrically opposing said plasmon generator, wherein said optical side shields are configured to further prevent loosely coupled radiative energy from said waveguide from being transferred to said recording medium and its surroundings:
• wherein
• said optical side shields are triangular prisms or trapezoidal prisms or irregular prisms, said prisms having a first face that is coplanar with said ABS plane and a second face that extends rearward from said first face and makes an angle with a symmetry plane that provides a clearance between said second face and a periphery of said plasmon generator.