A recording head includes a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface. The near-field transducer comprises an aperture portion surrounded by walls of plasmonic material, the walls oriented normal to the media-facing surface. A notch protrudes within the aperture. The notch comprises at least one of Rh and Ir. A write pole is proximate the near-field transducer. The write pole has a back surface facing away from the media-facing surface and an aperture-facing surface proximate the aperture.

An apparatus comprises a write pole, a waveguide core, and a near-field transducer (NFT) positioned between the write pole and the waveguide core. The NFT comprises an enlarged portion and a peg comprising a refractory metal and extending from the enlarged portion toward a media-facing surface. A first dielectric layer is positioned between the peg and the write pole, and a first adhesion layer is positioned between the peg and the first dielectric layer. In addition, a second dielectric layer is disposed on an entire surface of the NFT opposing the media-facing surface, and a second adhesion layer is positioned between the NFT and the second dielectric layer.

An apparatus comprises a write pole, a waveguide core, and a near-field transducer (NFT) positioned between the write pole and the waveguide core. The NFT comprises a heatsink portion, an enlarged portion, and a peg comprising a refractory metal and extending from the enlarged portion toward a media-facing surface. A first surface of the peg is substantially coplanar with a first surface of the enlarged portion and the first surface of the enlarged portion shares an interface with the heatsink portion. A first dielectric layer is positioned between the peg and the write pole, and a first adhesion layer is positioned between the peg and the first dielectric layer. In addition, a second dielectric layer is disposed on an entire surface of the NFT opposing the media-facing surface, and a second adhesion layer is positioned between the NFT and the second dielectric layer.

A lubricant including a plurality of segments including a divalent center segment and two sidechain segments, each including a perfluoroalkyl ether moieties is provided in which a dewetting thickness of the lubricant may be determined based in-part on a segment weight average molecular weight of the segments. A magnetic recording medium and a magnetic data storage system including the lubricant are also provided.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a laser, a near-field transducer, a primary waveguide, a secondary waveguide, and a photodiode. The laser is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation. The near-field transducer is configured to focus and emit an optical near-field. The primary waveguide configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation and propagate the electromagnetic radiation toward and proximal to the near-field transducer. The secondary waveguide configured to receive a portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the primary waveguide. The photodiode configured to receive the portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the secondary waveguide and emit a signal that represents a magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation that the laser emits.

A device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer including gold (Au) and at least one other secondary atom, the at least one other secondary atom selected from: boron (B), bismuth (Bi), indium (In), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), manganese (Mn), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O), and combinations thereof; erbium (Er), holmium (Ho), lutetium (Lu), praseodymium (Pr), scandium (Sc), uranium (U), zinc (Zn), and combinations thereof; and barium (Ba), chlorine (Cl), cesium (Cs), dysprosium (Dy), europium (Eu), fluorine (F), gadolinium (Gd), germanium (Ge), hydrogen (H), iodine (I), osmium (Os), phosphorus (P), rubidium (Rb), rhenium (Re), selenium (Se), samarium (Sm), terbium (Tb), thallium (Th), and combinations thereof.

A near-field transducer is situated at or proximate an air bearing surface of the apparatus and configured to facilitate heat-assisted magnetic recording on a medium. The near-field transducer includes an enlarged region comprising plasmonic material and having a first end proximate the air bearing surface. The near-field transducer also includes a disk region adjacent the enlarged region and having a first end proximate the air bearing surface. The disk region comprises plasmonic material. A peg region extends from the first end of the disk region and terminates at or proximate the air bearing surface. The near-field transducer further includes a region recessed with respect to the peg region. The recessed region is located between the peg region and the first end of the enlarged region.

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head contains a main pole, a waveguide, and a near-field transducer containing an antenna disposed between the waveguide and the main pole. A first portion of the antenna includes a layer stack of three or more gold-based component layers that contain a waveguide-side outermost gold-based component layer, a pole-side outermost gold-based component layer, and one or more intermediate gold-based component layers. An intermediate gold-based component layer of the one or more intermediate gold-based component layers includes at least one platinum group metal (PGM) at a maximum total atomic percentage that is greater than a total atomic percentage of the at least one PGM in the waveguide-side outermost gold-based component layer and is greater than a total atomic percentage of the at least one PGM in the pole-side outermost gold-based component layer.

Apparatus and method for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). In some embodiments, a write element has a magnetic write coil that writes a magnetic pattern to a recording layer of a data recording surface. A light delivery mechanism imparts heat in the form of electromagnetic energy to the data recording layer during operation of the write element. A radiation detector detects radiation power emitting from the recording layer responsive to the operation of the light delivery mechanism. A control circuit determines a direct temperature of the recording layer responsive to the detected radiation power, and as necessary, adjusts a power input to the light delivery mechanism responsive to the determined temperature. The radiation detector may be an infrared photodetector with a graphene-based detection layer. The photodetector may be disposed between a write pole and a return pole of the write element.

A slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording comprises an optical sensor coupled to first and second bond pads. The optical sensor comprises a bolometer and a reference sensor. The bolometer is situated at a location of the slider that receives at least some of the light and exposed to an ambient temperature at the slider. The bolometer produces a signal in response to a change in the ambient temperature and the change in output optical power. The reference sensor is situated at a location of the slider unexposed to the light and exposed to the ambient temperature. The reference sensor is coupled to the bolometer and configured to produce a signal in response to the change in the ambient temperature. The optical sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of changes in output optical power of a laser source without contribution due to ambient temperature changes.