Near-field transducer (NFT) designs for improved performance of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR)

A magnetic storage device comprising:

• a media comprising a magnetic recording layer;
• and
• a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to the magnetic recording layer, the HAMR head comprising:
• a waveguide;
• a main pole comprising a main-pole surface facing the magnetic recording layer;
• a near-field transducer (NFT) situated between the main pole and the waveguide, wherein the NFT comprises a main body and a micropillar, wherein the micropillar comprises a micropillar surface facing the magnetic recording layer, wherein a first distance between the micropillar surface and the media is less than a second distance between the main-pole surface and the media;
• and
• a transparent overcoat situated on the main-pole surface and the micropillar surface, wherein a media-facing surface of the transparent overcoat is three-dimensional.