This invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for monitoring laser light output in
thermally assisted mag netic recording disk drives. 2. Description of the Related Art Hard-
disk drives provide data storage for data processing systems in computers and servers, and
are becoming increas ingly pervasive in media players, digital recorders, and other personal
devices. Advances in hard-disk drive technology have made it possible for a user to store an
immense amount of digital information on an increasingly small disk, and to selectively …