Patent ID: 8670295

Claim:
An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer comprising: a write pole configured to write to a region of the media; at least one coil for energizing the write pole; a waveguide having an input optically coupled to the laser and configured to direct energy from the laser toward the ABS for heating the region of the media, the waveguide terminating at an end; a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and optically coupled to the waveguide; and an output device optically coupled to the waveguide, the output device coupling out a portion of the energy not coupled to the media and not coupled to the NFT, the NFT residing between the input and the end, and wherein the NFT further resides along the waveguide between the output device and the input of the waveguide such that the waveguide extends past the NFT and directs the portion of the energy toward the NFT and then from the NFT to the output device.