According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, a magnetic layer, and first and second conductive layers. The magnetic layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield. The first conductive layer contacts the first shield and the magnetic layer, is provided between the first shield and the magnetic layer, and includes at least one element selected from Cu, Ag, and Au. The second conductive layer is provided between the magnetic pole and the magnetic layer. The second conductive layer includes first and second regions. The first region contacts the magnetic layer and includes at least one first element selected from Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Ti, Ru, Mg, and V. The second region is provided between the first region and the magnetic pole and includes at least one second element selected from Ta, Pt, W, Mo, Ir, Cr, Tb, Rh, and Pd. This arrangement allows the magnetic field emitted from the magnetic pole to be oriented efficiently towards the magnetic recording medium and recording density to be increased.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording and reading apparatus has a magnetic head and a system controlling a flying height of the magnetic head. The system includes a main control unit, a resistance measurement unit which measures a resistance value of a magnetic flux control layer, a calculation unit which obtains a resistance value change rate with respect to an initial resistance value, a determination unit which determines a flying height for recording corresponding to the resistance value change rate, and a flying height control unit which controls a flying height of the magnetic head.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording and reading apparatus has a magnetic head and a system controlling a flying height of the magnetic head. The system includes a main control unit, a resistance measurement unit which measures a resistance value of a magnetic flux control layer, a calculation unit which obtains a resistance value change rate with respect to an initial resistance value, a determination unit which determines a flying height for recording corresponding to the resistance value change rate, and a flying height control unit which controls a flying height of the magnetic head.

An apparatus comprises a magnet housing dimensioned to receive a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium or a hard disk drive comprising at least one HAMR medium. A degausser is disposed in the magnet housing and is configured to generate at least one field sufficient to erase the HAMR medium, where the HAMR medium has a coercivity of between about 20 and 100 kOe at room temperature.

According to one embodiment, a disk-like magnetic recording medium includes a disk-like substrate, a first soft magnetic layer provided on the disk-substrate, a nonmagnetic spacer layer provided on the first soft magnetic layer, a second soft magnetic layer provided on the nonmagnetic spacer layer and antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled with the first soft magnetic layer via the nonmagnetic spacer layer, a magnetic recording layer provided on the second soft magnetic layer, wherein strength of an exchange coupling magnetic field Hbias decreases from an inner circumferential area toward an outer circumferential area of the disk-like magnetic recording medium.

According to one embodiment, a disk-like magnetic recording medium includes a disk-like substrate, a first soft magnetic layer provided on the disk-substrate, a nonmagnetic spacer layer provided on the first soft magnetic layer, a second soft magnetic layer provided on the nonmagnetic spacer layer and antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled with the first soft magnetic layer via the nonmagnetic spacer layer, a magnetic recording layer provided on the second soft magnetic layer, wherein strength of an exchange coupling magnetic field Hbias decreases from an inner circumferential area toward an outer circumferential area of the disk-like magnetic recording medium.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium capable of achieving high recording density by decreasing the bit transition width of a heat-assisted magnetic recording medium during the heat-assisted recording stage. The magnetic recording medium according to the present invention includes a non-magnetic substrate and a magnetic recording layer, wherein the magnetic recording layer includes an ordered alloy containing Fe, Pt and Ru, the ordered alloy includes x atom % of Fe, y atom % of Pt and z atom % of Ru on the basis of the total number of the Fe, Pt and Ru atoms, and the parameters x, y and z satisfy the following expressions (i)-(v): (i) 0.85x/y1.3; (ii) x53; (iii) y51; (iv) 0.6z20; and (v) x+y+z=100.