Thermal Origin of Readout Mechanism of Light-Scattering Super-Resolution Near-Field Structure Disk

Abstract

We have elucidated the readout mechanism of a platinum oxide super-resolution near-field structure (PtOx super-RENS) disk. It was found that threshold readout power (Pth) depends strongly on disk rotation speed. A rough estimate of the disk temperature during readout showed Pth to be approximately 340°C, irrespective of rotation speed. Additionally, it was revealed that the phase-change recording film (AgInSbTe) has optical nonlinearity with respect to incident laser power. The results indicate that thermal effects in the AgInSbTe (AIST) film play an important role in the super-RENS readout mechanism.