Energy assisted magnetic recording head having a reflector for improving efficiency of the light beam

An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser for providing energy and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer comprising:

• a write pole having a back gap region and configured to write to a region of the media;
• at least one coil for energizing the write pole;
• a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and for focusing the energy onto the region of the media;
• a waveguide configured to direct the energy from the laser toward the NFT at an incident angle with respect to the ABS, a first portion of the energy reflecting off of the ABS at a reflected angle, the incident angle being not more than a critical angle, the critical angle being such that the energy undergoes total internal reflection at the ABS, the critical angle being at least fifty-six degrees and not more than seventy-one degrees, the waveguide having a width substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the energy, the width being at least three hundred and not more than six hundred nanometers;
• and
• a reflector configured to receive the first portion of the energy at the reflected angle from the ABS and to reflect a second portion of the energy toward the ABS, the NFT residing between the waveguide and the reflector, the reflector being at least one of a mirror and a grating, the waveguide and the reflector being configured such that the energy incident at the NFT and the second portion of the energy have a phase difference that is an odd number multiplied by π.

An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser for providing energy and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer comprising:

• a write pole having a back gap region and configured to write to a region of the media;
• at least one coil for energizing the write pole;
• a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and for focusing the energy onto the region of the media;
• a waveguide for receiving a portion of the energy and configured to direct the portion of the energy from the laser toward the NFT at an incident angle with respect to the ABS and such that no portion of the energy is incident on the back gap, a portion of the waveguide having a central axis at the incident angle with respect to the ABS, the central axis being substantially along a transmission direction of the energy.

An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) disk drive comprising:

• a media for storing data;
• a slider having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to the media during use;
• a laser coupled with the slider for providing energy;
• an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider and including a write pole, at least one coil, a near field transducer (NFT), a waveguide, and a reflector, the write pole having a back gap region and configured to write to a region of the media, the at least one coil for energizing the write pole, the NFT residing proximate to the ABS and for focusing the energy onto the region of the media, the waveguide configured to direct the energy from the laser toward the NFT at an incident angle with respect to the ABS, a portion of the waveguide having a central axis at the incident angle with respect to the ABS, the central axis being substantially along a transmission direction of the energy, a first portion of the energy reflecting off of the ABS at a reflected angle, the reflector configured to receive the first portion of the energy at the reflected angle from the ABS and to reflect a second portion of the energy toward the ABS, the NFT residing between the waveguide and the reflector.