A Write Head Integrated With a Solid-Immersion-Lens System for Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

We have developed for heat-assisted magnetic recording a novel write head in which a magnetic writer and a near-field optical lens system are integrated. The single-pole type (SPT) write head is embedded in the hemispherical lens of a solid immersion lens (SIL) system, which has an effective NA of 1.44 at a wavelength of 405 nm. The SPT head, which has high magnetic efficiency and minimizes light scattering, consists of a main pole and vertical-turns type (VTT) coils. With an FWHM spot diameter of 130 nm and a main pole 2 mum wide, the head is estimated to be capable of small-spot writing