Optical power sensor for a heat-assisted magnetic recording slider

An apparatus, comprising:

• a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
• a write pole;
• a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the write pole;
• a main waveguide configured to couple light from a laser source to the NFT;
• a tap waveguide optically coupled to the main waveguide and comprising a first end and a second end;
• a light absorbing or anti-reflection feature situated at or proximate the second end of the tap waveguide;
• and
• a bolometer offset from the main waveguide at a location such that the bolometer indirectly senses an optical field of the main waveguide at the location via the tap waveguide, wherein the bolometer is configured to detect only a forward propagating mode that excites the NFT and a back reflection enters the bolometer only from a reflection of the second end of the tap waveguide.