Optical recording system with aspherical solid immersion lens

A method of reading or writing an optical media, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical system including an electromagnetic radiation source, an aspherical solid immersion lens, and an objective lens;
• providing an optical recording media;
• and
• focusing electromagnetic radiation on the optical recording media utilizing the optical system;
• wherein the objective lens is mounted on an arm and the solid immersion lens is mounted on an air-bearing slider.

An optical data storage system capable of reading and recording data to and from an optical recording media, the optical data storage system comprising:

• an air bearing slider;
• an arm;
• and
• a read/write head,
• wherein the read/write head includes:
• i) a solid immersion lens having:
• a substantially flat surface;
• an aspherical surface having a radius r along a first optical axis, the aspherical surface formed such that electromagnetic radiation received at the aspherical surface is substantially focused at a point proximal to the substantially flat surface;
• and
• ii) an objective having a second optical axis;
• wherein the solid immersion lens is disposed such that the aspherical surface of the solid immersion lens faces the objective lens, the first optical axis and the second optical axis being substantially aligned;
• and
• wherein the objective lens is mounted on the arm and the solid immersion lens is mounted on the air-bearing slider.