An apparatus comprises a heat-assisted magnetic recording drive which includes an enclosure having a base and a cover. The drive includes a magnetic recording disk and a head gimbal assembly proximate one of the base and the cover. The HGA supports a slider assembly comprising a laser diode unit. The LDU projects away from the HGA towards one of the base and the cover. An arcuate channel is provided in one of the base and the cover and dimensioned to receive a distal portion of the LDU. The channel has a length that accommodates the distal portion of the LDU along a stroke of the HGA.

A device that includes a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT having a disc and a peg, and the peg having an air bearing surface thereof; and at least one adhesion layer positioned on at least the air bearing surface of the peg, the adhesion layer including one or more of platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), yttrium (Y), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and scandium (Sc).

Devices having an air bearing surface (ABS), the devices including a write pole; a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a peg and a disc, wherein the peg is at the ABS of the device; a heat sink positioned adjacent the disc of the NFT; a dielectric gap positioned adjacent the peg of the NFT at the ABS of the device; and a conformal diffusion barrier layer positioned between the write pole and the dielectric gap, the disc, and the heat sink, wherein the conformal diffusion barrier layer forms at least one angle that is not greater than 135°.

An apparatus includes a first storage cell with an electrical property. The first storage cell is configured to change the electrical property in response to a first light energy, and to maintain the change to the electrical property. The first storage cell is also configured to alter the change to the electrical property in response to a second light energy, and to maintain the alteration to the change to the electrical property. A second storage cell disposed over the first storage cell in a vertical plane of the first storage cell. A third storage cell disposed adjacent to the first storage cell in a horizontal plane of the first storage cell.

An apparatus includes a first storage cell with an electrical property. The first storage cell is configured to change the electrical property in response to a first light energy, and to maintain the change to the electrical property. The first storage cell is also configured to alter the change to the electrical property in response to a second light energy, and to maintain the alteration to the change to the electrical property. A second storage cell disposed over the first storage cell in a vertical plane of the first storage cell. A third storage cell disposed adjacent to the first storage cell in a horizontal plane of the first storage cell.

An apparatus includes an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source. A near-field transducer (NFT) is positioned at a media-facing surface of a write head. A layered waveguide is positioned between the input coupler and the NFT and configured to receive the light output from the input coupler in a transverse electric (TE) mode and deliver the light to the NFT in a transverse magnetic (TM) mode. The layered waveguide comprises a first layer extending along a light-propagation direction. The first layer is configured to receive light from the input coupler. The first layer tapers from a first cross track width to a second cross track width where the second cross track width is narrower than the first cross track width. The layered waveguide includes a second layer that is disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a cross sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the light propagation direction that increases along the light propagation direction. The cross sectional area of the second layer is smaller proximate to the input coupler and larger proximate to the NFT.

Devices having an air bearing surface (ABS), the device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer having a peg and a disc, the peg having a region adjacent the ABS, the peg including a plasmonic material selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), aluminum (Al), or combinations thereof; and at least one other secondary atom selected from germanium (Ge), tellurium (Te), aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), mercury (Hg), indium (In), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), silver (Ag), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and combinations thereof, wherein a concentration of the secondary atom is higher at the region of the peg adjacent the ABS than a concentration of the secondary atom throughout the bulk of the peg, and a method of forming NFT thereof.

A slider of a heat-assisted recording head comprises electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad, an air bearing surface, and a waveguide configured to receive light from a laser source. A contact sensor proximate the air bearing surface is coupled between a first bond pad and a second bond pad. A bolometer is coupled to a reference thermal sensor. The bolometer is situated at a slider location that receives at least some of the light communicated along the waveguide. The reference thermal sensor is situated at a slider location unexposed to the light communicated along the waveguide. The bolometer and reference thermal sensor are coupled between the first and second bond pads and in parallel with the contact sensor. A ground connection is coupled to the ground pad and at a connection between the bolometer and the reference thermal sensor.

Data can be encoded in physical medium and represented by shapes having many various physical attributes. In various examples, data points are encoded and represented by the physical shape, color, size, and/or structure of objects. In one embodiment, holes in memory surface substrates represent data. Various attributes of such holes, including depth, profile size, profile shape, and/or angle can represent data.

A first waveguide core is configured to receive light via an input surface. The first waveguide core extends away from the input surface in a light propagation direction and terminates at a coupling region. A second waveguide core has a first end at the coupling region and a second end at a media-facing surface that is opposed to the input surface. The first end is separated from the termination of the first waveguide core by a gap in the coupling region. The coupling region includes an overlap between the first and second waveguide cores and is configured to promote evanescent coupling between the first and second waveguide cores.