US 11,443,765 B2Granted

Compact mode converter having first and second straight portions for heat-assisted magnetic recording device

AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC

InventorsReyad Mehfuz, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Pierre Asselin, Christopher Neil Harvey

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A write head includes an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source. A waveguide core is configured to receive light from the input coupler at a fundamental transverse electric (TE00) mode. The waveguide core has a first straight portion. The waveguide core has a mode converter portion comprising a branched portion extending from the first straight portion. The mode converter portion is configured to convert the light to a higher-order (TE10) mode, the mode converter portion spaced apart from the input coupler. The waveguide core has a second straight portion between the mode converter portion and a media-facing surface. The write head has a near-field transducer at the media-facing surface, the near-field transducer receiving the light at the TE10 mode from the waveguide and directing surface plasmons to a recording medium in response thereto.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A write head comprising:

an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source;
a waveguide core configured to receive light from the input coupler at a fundamental transverse electric (TE00) mode, the waveguide core comprising:
a first straight portion extending from the input coupler;
a mode converter portion comprising a branched portion extending from the first straight portion, the mode converter portion configured to convert the light to a higher-order (TE10) mode, the mode converter portion separated from the input coupler by the first straight portion such that the mode converter is moved out of the input coupler;
and
a second straight portion between the mode converter portion and a media-facing surface, wherein the first straight portion has a length greater than that of the second straight portion;
and
a near-field transducer at the media-facing surface, the near-field transducer configured to receive the light at the TE10 mode from the waveguide and direct surface plasmons to a recording medium in response thereto.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/221,945Filed 5 Apr 2021 · continuation
Priority: 25 Apr 2018
Published: US 2021/0225397 A122 Jul 2021
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G11B 5/4866
Specially adapted for disk drive assemblies, e.g. assembly prior to operation, hard or flexible disk drives: the arm comprising an optical…
G02B 6/1226
Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths: involving surface plasmon interaction
G02B 6/1228
Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths: tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers
G11B 5/314
Including layers not usually being a part of the electromagnetic transducer structure and providing additional features, e.g. for improving heat…:…

Family

Application15/962,229Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Apr 2018
Application16/433,467Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jun 2019
US 2021/0225397 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Jul 2021
US 10,971,179 B1Parent of this continuation
US 11,443,765 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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