Simulation of Contaminates Around the Solid Immersion Lens in a Near-Field Optical Recording System

Accurate predictions of contamination in next-generation optical storage drives are paramount when active gap control is employed. In near-field recording devices, the read/write interface can be on the order of 20-30 nm, which means that the gap could be quite susceptible to contamination. Predictive modeling approaches for studying the behavior of contaminates in nanoscale hydrodynamic interfaces are needed. Here, we present such a model. The interface consists of a flat disk surface translating under a solid immersion lens (SIL) of hemispherical geometry. We present the computational modeling simulation results for nano-scale contaminates around the near-field SIL. The simulation shows that the discrete contaminates actually circumnavigate the SIL/disk interface during operation. We identify and discuss the external influences on the discrete contaminate particle behavior