A laser is configured to emit light along a substrate-parallel plane along a first surface of the laser. An etched facet is on an emitting end of a lasing cavity and an etched mirror is on another end of the lasing cavity. An etched shaping mirror redirects light received from the etched facet in a direction normal to the substrate-parallel plane. A slider comprises an optical input coupler configured to couple the light from the laser into a waveguide of the slider. At least one protrusion is disposed on the laser and at least one recession is disposed on the slider, the at least one protrusion and the at least one recession configured to align the laser with the slider to allow the light to be coupled into the optical input coupler.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording/reproducing device includes a plurality of magnetic recording medium each including a recording surface, a plurality of assisted magnetic recording heads each provided with the recording surface in order to perform assisted recording, and an assisting amount adjustment part connected to the assisted magnetic recording heads in order to adjust an assisting amount of each assisted magnetic recording head corresponding to a recording capacity of the recording surface.

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. The near-field transducer extends a first distance away from the media-facing surface. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a liner that covers an edge of the mirror.

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).

A near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion formed of a soft plasmonic metal. A diffusion barrier is formed on one side of the enlarged portion, the diffusion barrier made of a harder material than the soft plasmonic metal. A heat sink is formed on the diffusion barrier, the heat sink made of the soft plasmonic metal. A peg is embedded in the diffusion layer so that the peg is isolated from the enlarged portion and the heat sink. The peg made of the soft plasmonic material and extends out from the diffusion layer towards a recording medium.

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 system, according to one embodiment, includes: a near field transducer, a return pole, a main pole, a waveguide adjacent the near field transducer, wherein the waveguide extends away from the near field transducer along a direction perpendicular to a media facing surface, at least one cladding layer adjacent to the waveguide, an underlayer positioned behind the near field transducer with respect to the media facing surface, the underlayer extending away from the near field transducer along the direction perpendicular to the media facing surface, and a fill material at least partially surrounding the underlayer, the waveguide and the at least one cladding layer. The underlayer has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the fill material. Other systems, and methods are described in additional embodiments,

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.

A device including a near field transducer (NFT); a write pole; at least one dielectric material positioned between the NFT and the write pole; and an adhesion layer positioned between the NFT and the at least one dielectric material.