Patent ID: 8588039

Claim:
A waveguide for use in an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser for providing energy and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer including a write pole configured to write to a region of the media, and at least one coil for energizing the write pole, the waveguide comprising: a first cladding layer; a core configured to direct the energy from the laser toward the ABS, the core having a core length; a second cladding layer, the core residing between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer; and a plurality of assistant cores, a first portion of the plurality of assistant cores residing in the first cladding layer, a second portion of the plurality of assistant cores residing in the second cladding layer, each of the plurality of assistant cores having an assistant core length less than the core length, at least a portion of the first cladding layer residing between the first portion of the plurality of assistant cores and the core, at least a second portion of the second cladding layer residing between the second portion of the plurality of assistant cores and the core.