Patent ID: 8233358

Claim:
A TAMR head comprising: a magnetic write pole which, when energized, produces a magnetic field for writing on a magnetic recording medium; a source of electromagnetic radiation in the optical frequency range; an optical waveguide for directing said electromagnetic radiation to a plasmon antenna, wherein said optical waveguide couples said electromagnetic radiation to a plasmon mode generated within said antenna; the plasmon antenna for generating and maintaining said plasmon mode within a plasmon generating layer and transferring energy generated by said plasmon mode to a localized region of said magnetic recording medium, thereby heating said localized region and reducing its magnetic coercivity and anisotropy; and wherein said plasmon antenna includes a magnetic portion for directing said magnetic field onto said localized region, whereby the strength and gradient of said magnetic field within said localized region, combined with the thermal energy profile of said transferred plasmon mode thermal energy creates optimal conditions for writing within said region of reduced magnetic coercivity and anisotropy.