Offset waveguide system with a mode converter and a tapered bend
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorChubing Peng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A read/write head has an input coupler that receives light at a fundamental mode from an energy source. A mode converter of the read/write head converts light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode. The read/write head has a bent waveguide coupled to the mode converter at an interface. The bent waveguide includes a curve with a taper. The taper nullifies the fundamental mode generated in the curve and recovers the higher-order mode at an output of the bent waveguide. A near-field transducer that receives the output of the bent waveguide is offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction.
Claims20
A read/write head, comprising:
- an input coupler comprising a facet that receives light from an energy source at a fundamental mode;
- a mode converter that converts light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode;
- a bent waveguide coupled to the mode converter at an interface, the bent waveguide comprising a curve with a taper, the taper nullifying the fundamental mode generated in the curve and matching phases between the fundamental and the higher-order mode to recover the higher-order mode in an output of the bent waveguide;
- and
- a near-field transducer that receives the output of the bent waveguide, near-field transducer being offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction.
A method comprising:
- coupling light from an energy source of a read/write head to a facet of an input coupler at a fundamental mode
- converting the light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode via a mode converter coupled proximate the input coupler at an interface;
- coupling the light at the higher-order mode into a bent waveguide comprising a tapered bend that matches phases between the fundamental mode and the higher-order mode to nullify the fundamental mode generated in the bent waveguide and recover the higher-order mode in an output of the bent waveguide;
- and
- coupling the output of the bent waveguide to a near-field transducer of the read/write head, the termination being offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction.
A read/write head, comprising:
- an input coupler comprising a facet that receives light at a fundamental mode from an energy source;
- an s-bend waveguide comprising a first bend coupled to the input coupler at an interface and a second bend comprising a taper, the second bend extending from the first bend to a termination of the s-bend waveguide proximate a near-field transducer of the read/write head, the second bend, the termination being offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction;
- and
- a branch waveguide coupled to the s-bend waveguide and the input coupler proximate the interface, the branch waveguide extending away from a media-facing surface of the read/write head and converting the light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode that is coupled through the s-bend waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.