An apparatus includes a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording. The slider comprises an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source and a waveguide. The waveguide comprises a waveguide core tapering along a light propagation direction from a first cross-sectional width to a second cross-sectional width. The second cross sectional width is smaller than the first cross sectional width. The waveguide core comprises a trench at an output end. The waveguide comprises at least one cladding layer surrounding the waveguide core. The waveguide is configured to provide a surface plasmon-enhanced near-field radiation pattern proximate the output end in response to the received light.