Mechanisms for Enhancing Power Throughput from Planar Nano-Apertures for Near-Field Optical Data Storage

Near-field optical data storage systems are important for ultrahigh density data storage. One type of near-field optical data storage system uses a planar nano-aperture to define the data storage resolution. However, conventional nano-apertures have a tradeoff between resolution and power throughput. Recently, we reported a novel "C"-aperture design to overcome this problem. In this paper, we present our study on the mechanisms for power throughput enhancement, based on a detailed study of nano-slits using numerical simulations. We find that generating a propagation mode is essential for high power throughput, and by optimizing the design of the aperture thickness, resonant transmission can be achieved for even higher power throughput.