A near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion and a peg protruding from a first edge. The enlarged portion has a second edge facing away from the first edge. The near-field transducer includes a heat sink disposed on the enlarged portion and with an outline shape that matches that of the enlarged portion. The heat sink is disposed at a first separation distance from the first edge of the enlarged portion and a second, greater, separation distance from the second edge of the enlarged portion. The first separation distance is greater than the second separation distance.

A write head includes a near-field transducer near a media-facing surface of the write head. The write head includes a waveguide having a core with a first side disposed proximate to the near-field transducer. The core overlaps the near-field transducer at a substrate-parallel plane. The core includes one of a step or a taper on a second side facing away from the first side. The step or the taper causes a reduced thickness of the core normal to the substrate-parallel plane. The write head includes a cladding layer that encompassing the second side of the core and that fills in the step or the taper.

A system, according to one embodiment, includes a magnetic head having: a near field transducer, an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, and an anti-reflection block positioned along the optical waveguide farther from a media facing side of the magnetic head than the near field transducer. The anti-reflection block is positioned a distance from the near field transducer to destructively interfere with light reflected away from the near field transducer. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.