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US 8,391,107 B2Granted
Slider for heat assisted magnetic recording including a photo detector for monitoring laser power
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsEdward Charles Gage, Lifu Zhou, Michael Allen Seigler, William Albert Challener
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a slider including an air bearing surface and a waveguide configured to receive light from a light source, a sensor positioned to receive a portion of light emitted by the light source prior to the light exiting the slider at the air bearing surface, and a controller controlling the light source power in response to a characteristic of the sensor.
Claims22
An apparatus comprising:
- a slider comprising:
- an air bearing surface;
- and
- a waveguide configured to receive light from a light source and emit the light from the slider at the air bearing surface;
- a sensor formed on the waveguide to receive a portion of the light leaked directly from the waveguide prior to the light exiting the slider at the air bearing surface;
- wherein the sensor is formed on a continuous portion of the waveguide, the continuous portion of the waveguide extending at least from the position of the sensor to where light is emitted from the slider at the air bearing surface during use;
- and
- a controller to adjust power of the light source in response to a characteristic of the portion of the light received by the sensor.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- producing a light from a light source;
- directing the light to a waveguide in a slider;
- producing a signal representative of a portion of the light leaking from the waveguide directly onto a sensor formed on the waveguide prior to the light exiting an air bearing surface of the slider via the waveguide, wherein the sensor is formed on a continuous portion of the waveguide, the continuous portion of the waveguide extending at least from the position of the sensor to where light is emitted from the slider at the air bearing surface during use;
- and
- controlling the light source power in response to the signal.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a slider comprising:
- a laser;
- a waveguide configured to receive light from the laser and to emit the light at an air bearing surface of the slider;
- a photosensor formed on the waveguide to receive a portion of light directly leaked from the waveguide, wherein the photosensor is formed on a continuous portion of the waveguide, the continuous portion of the waveguide extending at least from the position of the photosensor to where light is emitted from the slider at the air bearing surface during use;
- and
- a magnetic sensor;
- and
- the apparatus further comprising a controller to adjust output of the laser in response to a magnetic readback signal from the magnetic sensor and a characteristic of the portion of the light leaked directly from the waveguide and received by the photosensor.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.