Discrete track media (DTM) design and fabrication for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR)

An apparatus comprising:

• a recording media including a substrate, a plurality of concentric tracks of continuous magnetic material on the substrate, and a non-magnetic material between the tracks;
• a recording head having an air bearing surface positioned adjacent to the recording media, and including a magnetic pole, an optical transducer, and a near-field transducer, wherein the near-field transducer directs electromagnetic radiation onto tracks to heat portions of the tracks and a magnetic field from the magnetic pole is used to create magnetic transitions in the heated portions of the tracks;
• and
• a continuous layer of plasmonic material positioned in the recording media and adjacent to the magnetic material to increase coupling between the electromagnetic radiation and the magnetic material, wherein the tracks have a width of about 50 nm and are separated by about 25 nm.