Patent · US Active

Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head comprising light source with photonic-band layer

US8194509B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
9References
23Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 30, 2009
Grant dateJun 5, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2005/0021
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is provided, in which a light source having sufficiently high output power for performing thermal-assist is disposed in the element-integration surface of the substrate to achieve improved mass-productivity. The head includes: a light source having a multilayered structure including a photonic-band layer and having a light-emitting surface opposed to the element-integration surface; a diffraction optical element that converges the emitted light; a light-path changer that changes the direction of the converged light; a waveguide that propagates the direction-changed light toward the opposed-to-medium surface; and a magnetic pole that generates write field. The surface-emitting type light source includes a photonic-band layer having a periodic structure in which a light from an active region resonates, and thus emits laser light on a quite different principle from a VCSEL. Therefore, the light source can be disposed in the element-integration surface, even though having sufficiently high output power.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.