Improving the near-field transmission efficiency of nano-optical transducers by tailoring the near-field sample

Official URL: http://www.mrs.org/s_mrs/sec_detail.asp?CID=3640&DID=231267

Despite research efforts to find a better nano-optical transducer for light localization and high transmission efficiency for existing and emerging plasmonic applications, there has not been much consideration on improving the near-field optical performance of the system by engineering the near-field sample. In this work, we demonstrate the impact of tailoring the near-field sample by studying an emerging plasmonic application, namely heat-assisted magnetic recording. Basic principles of Maxwell's and heat transfer equations are utilized to obtain a magnetic medium with superior optical and thermal performance compared to a conventional magnetic medium.