Near-field transducer optical waveguide for TAR media

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the magnetic media during the writing process. By heating the media to a Curie temperature or near-Curie temperature, the coercivity is reduced, allowing data to be written to smaller cells. After writing, the media is cooled to room temperature where the coercivity increases, stabilizing the stored data against thermal fluctuations.

The patent employs periodic heating and cooling cycles of the magnetic media. The media is periodically heated to enable writing operations, then cooled to stabilize the data. This periodic temperature variation allows the system to overcome the superparamagnetic limit during writing while maintaining stability during storage.

The patent applies local quality by creating a temperature gradient across the media surface. The media is heated to different temperatures in different regions: the region under the write head is heated to Curie temperature for writing, while other regions remain at lower temperatures. This localized heating improves optical efficiency by concentrating energy only where needed.

The patent segments the heating process into distinct stages and regions. The media is segmented into a heated region (under the write head) and a non-heated region (rest of the media). This segmentation allows independent optimization of writing performance and optical efficiency, as energy is applied only to the specific location requiring heating.