Abstract

We present a numerical technique for design and optimization of nanometallic structures for near-field optical applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The sensitivity of the optical behavior of a nanostructure with respect to its size and shape may be efficiently obtained with a pair of “forward” and “backward” FDTD simulations. Devices may be optimized by iteratively adjusting their dimensions along direction of highest sensitivity for improvement.

© 2011 Optical Society of America