The present disclosure generally relates to magnetic recording devices with stable magnetization. The magnetic recording device comprises a lower leading shield, an upper leading shield disposed on the lower leading shield, a main pole disposed above the upper leading shield, a trailing shield disposed above the main pole and upper leading shield, and an upper return pole disposed above the trailing shield. A first non-magnetic layer is disposed between the lower leading shield and the upper leading shield, and a second non-magnetic layer is disposed between the trailing shield and the upper return pole. The lower leading shield has a different domain state than the upper leading shield, and the trailing shield and the upper leading shield have a same domain state. The materials and thickness of the first and second non-magnetic layers result in magnetostatic coupling or anti-ferromagnetic coupling.

An in-plane magnetized film multilayer structure for use as a hard bias layer of a magnetoresistive effect element contains a plurality of in-plane magnetized films and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer. The nonmagnetic intermediate layer is disposed between the in-plane magnetized films, and the in-plane magnetized films adjacent across the nonmagnetic intermediate layer are coupled by a ferromagnetic coupling. Each of the in-plane magnetized films contains metal Co and metal Pt, and contains the metal Co in an amount of 45 at % or more and 80 at % or less and the metal Pt in an amount of 20 at % or more and 55 at % or less relative to a total of metal components of the each of the in-plane magnetized films. A total thickness of the plurality of in-plane magnetized films is 30 nm or more.

The present disclosure generally relates to a Wheatstone bridge array that has four resistors. Each resistor includes a plurality of TMR films. Each resistor has identical TMR films. The TMR films of two resistors have reference layers that have an antiparallel magnetic orientation relative to the TMR films of the other two resistors. To ensure the antiparallel magnetic orientation, the TMR films are all formed simultaneously and annealed in a magnetic field simultaneously. Thereafter, the TMR films of two resistors are annealed a second time in a magnetic field while the TMR films of the other two resistors are not annealed a second time.

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. The near-field transducer extends a first distance away from the media-facing surface. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a liner that covers an edge of the mirror.

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. The near-field transducer extends a first distance away from the media-facing surface. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a liner that covers an edge of the mirror.

A spin valve magnetoresistance element has an even number of free layer structures for which half has an antiferromagnetic coupling and the other half has a ferromagnetic coupling with respect to associated pinned layers. The different couplings are the result of an even number different spacer layers having respective different thicknesses.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a magnetic recording device comprising a magnetic recording head having a negative anisotropic magnetic (−Ku) material notch. The magnetic recording device comprises a main pole disposed at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield disposed adjacent to the main pole, and a trailing gap disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The trailing shield comprises a hot seed layer disposed adjacent to the trailing gap, and a notch comprising a −Ku material in contact with the hot seed layer and the trailing gap. The notch is disposed adjacent to a first surface of the main pole at the MFS. The notch comprising the −Ku material results in an increased effective write magnetic field, an increased down-track field gradient due to reduced shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, leading to an increased areal density capacity.

A lateral spin valve reader and fabrication method thereof. The method includes forming an injector, a detector and a common channel layer that extends from the injector to the detector. The method also includes forming a first channel layer between the common channel layer and at least one of the injector or the detector with the first channel layer in contact with the common channel layer, thereby providing an interface between the first channel layer and the common channel layer.

A lateral spin valve reader and fabrication method thereof. The method includes forming an injector, a detector and a common channel layer that extends from the injector to the detector. The method also includes forming a first channel layer between the common channel layer and at least one of the injector or the detector with the first channel layer in contact with the common channel layer, thereby providing an interface between the first channel layer and the common channel layer.

A method provides a magnetic read apparatus. A sensor stack is deposited. The read sensor is defined from the stack such that the sensor has sides forming a junction angle of 75 degrees-105 degrees from a sensor bottom. Defining the sensor includes performing a first ion mill at a first angle and a first energy and performing a second ion mill at a second angle greater than the first angle and at a second energy less than the first energy. The first angle is 5 degrees-30 degrees from normal to the top surface. After the first ion mill, less than half of the stack's bottom layer depth remains unmilled. Magnetic bias structure(s) adjacent to the sides may be formed. The magnetic bias structure(s) include a side shielding material having at least one of the saturation magnetization greater than 800 emu/cm.sup.3 and an exchange length less than five nanometers.