Near-field optical transducers for thermal assisted magnetic and optical data storage

An optical transducer comprising:

• an optical element having a focal region and a first index of refraction;
• the means
• a metallic nano-structure embedded in the optical element at the focal region;
• and
• a cladding material having a second index of refractive positioned between the optical element and the metallic nano-structure, and separating the metallic nano-structure from the optical element.

An optical transducer comprising:

• an optical element having a focal region and a first index of refraction;
• a metallic nano-structure positioned in the optical element at the focal region;
• and
• a cladding material having a second index of refraction positioned between the optical element and the metallic nano-structure;
• wherein the second index of refraction is greater than the first index of refraction.