Magneto-optic recording system employing near field optics
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorGordon S. Kino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magneto-optic recording system employing near-field optics which includes a read/write head having a pair of crossed tapered optical waveguides closely adjacent to the recording medium to provide light coupling between the tapered ends of the waveguides and the recording medium. The length of the waveguides being greater than one-half the wavelength of the light transmitted by the waveguides to transmit all light entering the waveguide to the tapered end and the width being a fraction of a wavelength of the light.
Claims17
In a magneto-optic recording system employing near field optics;
- a read/write head assembly for reading or writing information on an adjacent magnetic recording medium, said read/write head assembly including crossed tapered optical waveguides which terminate in a slit having a length greater than one-half the wavelength of light in the media filling the waveguides and a width substantially less than the wavelength of light in the media filling the waveguides.
A read/write head assembly for reading/writing information in a magnetic storage medium;
- including a pair of crossed tapered, substantially rectangular optical waveguides, each terminating in a slit, said optical waveguides each having a length which is greater than one-half wavelength of the light being transmitted in the medium filing the waveguide and a width substantially less than the wavelength of light in the medium filling the guide;
- and,
- a source of light for directing light of predetermined wavelength into at least one of said optical waveguides to provide E-fields extending outwardly from said slit, and means for positioning of said slit adjacent to the magnetic storage medium so that the E-fields are coupled to said magnetic storage medium.
A read/write assembly for reading/writing information in a magnetic media, including:
- a read/write head having a pair of crossed, substantially rectangular waveguides each of which tapers at a predetermined angle to terminate in a slit, said slits each having a length which is greater than one-half wavelength of the light being transmitted in the medium filling the waveguide and a width substantially less than the wavelength of the light transmitted in the medium filling the waveguide,
- a source of light of predetermined wavelength,
- lens means for receiving light from the source of light and forming and directing a tapered light beam which tapers into at least one of said optical waveguides to provide E-fields extending outwardly from said slit, and
- means for positioning said head adjacent to the magnetic storage medium so that the E-fields at the slit are coupled to said magnetic storage medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.