An apparatus has a main pole layer of magnetic material, a second layer of magnetic material, a first gap layer of non-magnetic material between the main pole layer and the second layer of magnetic material, and a second gap layer of non-magnetic material disposed between the main pole layer and the second layer of magnetic material. The second gap layer of non-magnetic material can be directly adjacent to the second layer of magnetic material. In accordance with one embodiment, this allows the gap to serve as a non-magnetic seed for the second layer of magnetic material. A method of manufacturing such a device is also described.

This thin film magnetic head includes: a magnetic pole including a first end surface exposed on an air bearing surface; a coil configured to provide a magnetic flux passing through inside of the magnetic pole; and a heatsink including a second end surface that is provided at a position recessed from the air bearing surface. The second end surface is configured to suppress reflection causing light that has traveled through an entering position on the air bearing surface to return to the entering position.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes first and second magnetic poles, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a third magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the second and third magnetic layers, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer. A first magnetic pole length of the first magnetic pole is less than a second magnetic pole length of the second magnetic pole. A first magnetic layer length of the first magnetic layer is greater than a second magnetic layer length of the second magnetic layer.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide various magnetic recording slider structures and fabrication methods that can reduce head overcoat (HOC) thickness without significantly reducing the lifetime and reliability of a slider by using a protective cap placed on preselected locations on the outermost surface or HOC of the slider. A slider includes a writer comprising an energy-assisted recording element. The writer is configured to store information on a magnetic medium using the energy-assisted recording element. The slider includes a head overcoat (HOC) layer providing an outermost media facing surface. The slider further includes a protective cap positioned on the HOC layer to at least partially cover the energy-assisted recording element, the protective cap including a preselected shape configured to protect the energy-assisted recording element.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic recording head of a spintronic device, such as a write head of a data storage device, for example a magnetic media drive. In one example, a magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, and a spin torque layer (STL) between the main pole and the trailing shield. The magnetic recording head a first layer structure on the main pole, and the first layer structure includes a negative polarization layer. The magnetic recording head also includes a second layer structure disposed on the negative polarization layer and between the negative polarization layer and the STL. The negative polarization layer is an FeCr layer. The second layer structure includes a Cr layer disposed on the FeCr layer, and a Cu layer disposed on the Cr layer and between the Cr layer and the STL.

The present disclosure generally relates to magnetic media devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The recording head includes a main pole, a trailing shield hot seed layer, a spin Hall layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield hot seed layer, and a spin-torque layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield hot seed layer. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the spin Hall layer. The spin-torque layer magnetization switching or precession is induced by the SOT. The SOT based head reduces the switching current and the V.sub.jump due to higher spin polarization ratio, which improves energy efficiency. In addition, the spin Hall layer and the spin-torque layer are easier to form compared to the conventional pseudo spin-valve structure.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a shield, a magnetic pole, a first magnetic layer provided between the shield and the magnetic pole, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the magnetic pole, a third magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the magnetic pole, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the shield and the first magnetic layer, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, and a fourth nonmagnetic layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the magnetic pole. The first and third nonmagnetic layers include one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, and Ti. The second and fourth nonmagnetic layers include one of Ta, Pt, Ir, W, Mo, Cr, Tb, Rh, Pd, and Ru.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic layer, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the second and first magnetic layers, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the third and second magnetic layers. The third magnetic layer includes first and second elements. The first and second magnetic layers do not include the second element. Or concentrations of the second element in the first and second magnetic layers are less than in the third magnetic layer.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member provided between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic pole, a first layer provided between the first and second magnetic members, and a second layer provided between the second magnetic member and the second magnetic pole. The first magnetic member includes first magnetic regions and a first nonmagnetic region. The first nonmagnetic region is between the one of the first magnetic regions and the other one of the first magnetic regions. The second magnetic member includes second magnetic regions and a second nonmagnetic region. The second nonmagnetic region is between the one of the second magnetic regions and the other one of the second magnetic regions.

A magnetic head includes a main pole configured to serve as a first electrode, an upper pole containing a trailing magnetic shield configured to a serve as a second electrode, and an electrically conductive portion located in a trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield. The electrically conductive portion is not part of a spin torque oscillator stack, and the electrically conductive portion includes at least one electrically conductive, non-magnetic material layer. The main pole and the trailing magnetic shield are electrically shorted by the electrically conductive portion across the trailing gap between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield such that an electrically conductive path is present between the main pole and the trailing magnetic shield through the electrically conductive portion.