Patent ID: 8208350

Claim:
An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head comprising: a slider having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an air bearing surface (ABS); and a near field transducer disposed in the slider and having a distal end proximate the ABS; wherein: the distal end of the near field transducer is recessed from the ABS when no optical power is applied to the near field transducer, and is co-planar with the ABS when a predetermined amount of optical power is applied to the near field transducer, a portion of the slider surrounding the distal end forms a concave surface having a continuously varying slope when no optical power is applied to the near field transducer, and a flat surface coplanar with the ABS and the distal end of the near field transducer when the predetermined amount of optical power is applied to the near field transducer, and wherein applying the optical power comprises coupling light into a waveguide formed in the EAMR head and directing the coupled light to the near field transducer via the waveguide.