Layered Optical Waveguide Bilayer Core for Focused Hotspot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for thermally assisted magnetic/optical recording struggle to achieve high storage density due to limitations in focusing energy onto a small spot on the storage medium, which restricts the areal data density of magnetic media.
Innovation Solution
The use of waveguides with a core bilayer structure, comprising a lower index core layer and a higher index core layer made of materials like TiO2 and Nb2O5, CeO2, Ta2O5, ZrO2, HfO2, Y2O3, Sc2O3, MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2, configured with specific refractive indices, to efficiently direct and focus light energy onto a small hotspot on the recording medium, enhancing energy coupling and reducing optical loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional energy focusing methods are used to heat storage media, then the storage media can be heated to reduce coercivity, but the heated spot size cannot be sufficiently decreased to increase storage density
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide core is segmented into a bilayer structure with a first core layer and a second core layer, each having different refractive indices. This segmentation allows independent optimization of light confinement and focusing properties, enabling smaller heated spot sizes while maintaining efficient energy delivery to the storage media.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a waveguide structure where the core bilayer has spatially varying refractive indices (n1 for the first core layer, n2 for the second core layer) that are specifically tailored to achieve optimal light confinement in the transverse direction and precise focusing at the storage media interface, thereby achieving smaller heated spots for higher storage density.
2Loss of energy
If a waveguide with core bilayer structure is used to focus light energy, then energy coupling efficiency is enhanced and optical loss is reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of light confinement and focusing into a single integrated waveguide core bilayer structure. The first and second core layers work together to simultaneously achieve effective light confinement through refractive index contrast and precise focal spot formation at the storage media, reducing the need for separate optical components and minimizing overall system complexity despite the enhanced functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the creation of highly focused hotspots on the recording medium, increasing storage density and efficiency in thermally assisted magnetic recording by maximizing the output/input energy ratios and minimizing optical loss, thereby overcoming superparamagnetic effects that limit traditional magnetic media.
Implementation Method 1
a waveguide configured with the higher index core layer of the core bilayer structure adjacent the top cladding layer and the lower index core layer of the core bilayer structure adjacent the bottom cladding layer, and wherein n4 is less than n3 and n1, and n2 is less than n3 and n1
Implementation Method 2
a core bilayer structure, the core bilayer structure including a lower index core layer having an index of refraction n3; and a higher index core layer having an index of refraction n1
Data Source
AI summary
Waveguides that include a top cladding layer made of a material having an index of refraction n4; a core bilayer structure, the core bilayer structure including a lower index core layer having an index of refraction n3; and a higher index core layer having an index of refraction n1, wherein the higher index core layer includes TiO2 and one or more than one of Nb2O5, CeO2, Ta2O5, ZrO2, HfO2, Y2O3, Sc2O3, MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2, wherein the lower index core layer is adjacent the higher index core layer; a bottom cladding layer made of a material having an index of refraction n2, wherein the waveguide is configured with the higher index core layer of the core bilayer structure adjacent the top cladding layer and the lower index core layer of the core bilayer structure adjacent the bottom cladding layer, and wherein n4 is less than n3 and n1, and n2 is less than n3 and n1.