JP2009099212A - Recording head and information recording/reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and thin recording head improving reliability of writing by efficiently converging a luminous flux. <P>SOLUTION: The recording head 2 is provided with: a slider 20; main and auxiliary magnetic poles 32 and 30, a recording element 22 fixed to the tip surface of the slider; a core 40 formed by drawing so that a sectional area orthogonal to a direction from one end to the other end is gradually reduced, and adapted to generate a spot light R by converging a luminous flux L introduced from one end therein to propagate it to the other end, and to emit the spot light R from the other end to the outside; a spot light generation element 23 having a clad 41 to close the core inside; and a light flux introducing means 4 disposed in parallel to the slider to introduce the luminous flux into the core. The spot light generation element is formed longer than the thickness of the slider, and the length is adjusted so that a sectional area reduction rate of the core is equal to or less than a predetermined value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording head for recording various kinds of information on a magnetic recording medium using spot light collected by light, and an information recording / reproducing apparatus having the recording head.

  In recent years, the recording density of information within a single recording surface has increased as the capacity of hard disks and the like in computer equipment has increased. For example, in order to increase the recording capacity per unit area of the magnetic disk, it is necessary to increase the surface recording density. However, as the recording density increases, the recording area occupied by one bit on the recording medium decreases. When this bit size is reduced, the energy of 1-bit information is close to that of room temperature, and the recorded information is reversed or lost due to thermal fluctuation, etc. Will occur.

  In the in-plane recording method that has been generally used, the magnetism is recorded so that the direction of magnetization is in the in-plane direction of the recording medium. In this method, the recorded information is lost due to the thermal demagnetization described above. Is likely to occur. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a shift is being made to a perpendicular recording method in which a magnetization signal is recorded in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium. This method is a method for recording magnetic information on the principle of bringing a single magnetic pole closer to a recording medium. According to this method, the recording magnetic field is directed substantially perpendicular to the recording film. Information recorded by a perpendicular magnetic field is easy to maintain in energy stability because it is difficult for the N pole and the S pole to form a loop in the recording film surface. Therefore, this perpendicular recording method is more resistant to thermal demagnetization than the in-plane recording method.

  However, recent recording media are required to have a higher density in response to the need to record and reproduce a larger amount and higher density information. For this reason, in order to minimize the influence of adjacent magnetic domains and thermal fluctuations, those having a strong coercive force have begun to be adopted as recording media. For this reason, it is difficult to record information on a recording medium even in the above-described perpendicular recording system.

  Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a hybrid that locally writes the magnetic domain by using spot light that collects light or near-field light to temporarily reduce the coercive force, and performs writing during that time. A magnetic recording system is provided. In particular, when near-field light is used, it is possible to handle optical information in a region that is less than or equal to the wavelength of light, which is a limit in conventional optical systems. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a higher recording bit density than conventional optical information recording / reproducing apparatuses.

Various recording heads using the hybrid magnetic recording system described above are provided, and one of them is a near-field optical head that performs heating using near-field light (for example, a patent). Reference 1 and 2).
This near-field optical head mainly includes a main magnetic pole, an auxiliary magnetic pole, a coil winding in which a spiral conductor pattern is formed inside an insulator, and metal scattering that generates near-field light from irradiated laser light. And a planar laser light source for irradiating laser light toward the metal scatterer, and a lens for focusing the irradiated laser light. Each of these components is attached to the side surface of a slider fixed to the tip of the beam.

One end of the main pole is a surface facing the recording medium, and the other end is connected to the auxiliary pole. That is, the main magnetic pole and the auxiliary magnetic pole constitute a single magnetic pole type vertical head in which one magnetic pole (single magnetic pole) is arranged in the vertical direction. The coil winding is fixed to the auxiliary magnetic pole so that part of the coil winding passes between the main magnetic pole and the auxiliary magnetic pole. The main magnetic pole, the auxiliary magnetic pole, and the coil winding constitute an electromagnet as a whole.
The metal scatterer made of gold or the like is attached to the tip of the main magnetic pole. The planar laser light source is disposed at a position separated from the metal scatterer, and the lens is disposed between the planar laser light source and the metal scatterer.
Each component described above is attached in the order of the auxiliary magnetic pole, coil winding, main magnetic pole, metal scatterer, lens, and planar laser light source from the side of the slider.

When the near-field light head configured in this way is used, various information is recorded on the recording medium by generating a near-field light and simultaneously applying a recording magnetic field.
In other words, laser light is irradiated from a planar laser light source. This laser light is collected by a lens and irradiated onto a metal scatterer. Then, in the metal scatterer, the internal free electrons are uniformly oscillated by the electric field of the laser beam, so that the plasmon is excited to generate near-field light at the tip portion. As a result, the magnetic recording layer of the recording medium is locally heated by near-field light, and the coercive force temporarily decreases.
Simultaneously with the irradiation of the laser beam, a recording current is locally applied to the magnetic recording layer of the recording medium close to the main pole by supplying a driving current to the conductor pattern of the coil winding. Thereby, various types of information can be recorded on the magnetic recording layer whose coercive force has temporarily decreased. That is, recording on a recording medium can be performed by the cooperation of near-field light and a magnetic field.
JP 2004-158067 A JP-A-2005-4901

However, the following problems still remain in the conventional near-field optical head described above.
That is, when generating near-field light that is indispensable for recording information, the laser light is irradiated from the planar laser light source to the metal scatterer through the lens while being condensed. However, since the metal scatterer is attached to the tip of the main magnetic pole, it has been unavoidable to irradiate the optical axis of the laser beam obliquely from the planar laser light source. Therefore, even if the lens position is adjusted properly, it is difficult to efficiently focus the laser light on the metal scatterer. In particular, a semicircular lens is used because it is necessary to dispose the lens in consideration of interference with the recording medium. This is also a factor that causes a reduction in light collection efficiency.
As a result, near-field light could not be generated efficiently and information could not be written.

  Further, since it is necessary to dispose the lens at a position separated from the metal scatterer, the size of the head becomes large, and the compact configuration cannot be achieved. Moreover, since it is necessary to arrange the planar laser light source in consideration of the lens position and the position of the metal scatterer, it cannot be easily installed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the reliability of writing by efficiently condensing a light beam and to achieve a compact and thin shape. It is to provide a recording head that can be used, and an information recording / reproducing apparatus having the recording head.

The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The recording head according to the present invention heats the magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by the spot light generated by condensing the light beam and applies a recording magnetic field in the perpendicular direction to the magnetic recording medium to reverse magnetization. A recording head for recording information and having a slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium; a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole for generating the recording magnetic field; With the magnetic pole positioned, the recording element fixed to the leading end surface of the slider so that both magnetic poles are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the slider, and the diaphragm so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the direction from one end to the other end gradually decreases. The shaped light beam introduced from one end side is propagated toward the other end side while condensing inside and generates the spot light, and the spot light is directed from the other end side to the outside. And a clad that tightly contacts the core with the other end side of the core exposed to the outside and confines the core inside, with the other end side facing the magnetic recording medium side. A spot light generating element that is fixed adjacent to the main magnetic pole and generates the spot light in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole, and is arranged in parallel to the slider. A light beam introducing means for introducing the light source, wherein the spot light generating element is formed longer than the thickness of the slider, and the length is adjusted so that the reduction rate of the cross-sectional area of the core is a predetermined value or less. It is characterized by this.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, information can be recorded on a rotating magnetic recording medium by a hybrid magnetic recording system in which spot light and a recording magnetic field cooperate. First, the slider is arranged facing the surface of the magnetic recording medium. A recording element having a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole is fixed to the front end surface of the slider. At this time, the auxiliary magnetic pole is positioned on the front end surface side of the slider, and the main magnetic pole is disposed adjacent to the auxiliary magnetic pole. Further, a spot light generating element is fixed adjacent to the main magnetic pole. That is, an auxiliary magnetic pole, a main magnetic pole, and a spot light generating element are arranged on the front end surface of the slider in order from the slider side. The spot light generating element is fixed with the other end side where the spot light is generated facing the magnetic recording medium side. Then, a light beam is introduced from the light beam introducing means to one end side of the spot light generating element arranged at a position separated from the magnetic recording medium.

When recording is performed here, the light beam is introduced from the light beam introducing means into the core of the spot light generating element. At this time, the light flux is introduced in a direction parallel to the slider. Then, the introduced light beam propagates while being repeatedly reflected inside the core toward the other end side located on the magnetic recording medium side. At this time, since the core is drawn so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from the one end side to the other end side gradually decreases, the light flux propagates while being gradually condensed.
Therefore, when the light beam reaches the other end side of the core, it is narrowed down to reduce the spot size. That is, the core can narrow the spot size of the introduced light beam to a small size. Thereby, spot light can be generated and emitted from the other end side to the outside. In particular, since the cladding is in close contact with the core, the propagating light beam does not leak out of the core. Therefore, the introduced light beam can be efficiently converted into spot light without wasting it.

Then, the magnetic recording medium is locally heated by the spot light, and the coercive force is temporarily reduced. In particular, since the core is adjacent to the main magnetic pole and generates spot light in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole, the coercive force of the magnetic recording medium can be reduced at a position as close as possible to the main magnetic pole.
On the other hand, simultaneously with the introduction of the light beam, the recording element is operated to generate a recording magnetic field between the main magnetic pole and the auxiliary magnetic pole. Thereby, it is possible to generate a recording magnetic field at a pinpoint with respect to a local position of the magnetic recording medium whose coercive force is reduced by the spot light. Note that the direction of the recording magnetic field changes according to the information to be recorded. When the magnetic recording medium receives a recording magnetic field, the magnetization direction changes in the vertical direction according to the direction of the recording magnetic field. As a result, information can be recorded.

  That is, information can be recorded by a hybrid magnetic recording method in which the spot light and the recording magnetic field cooperate. Further, since it is a perpendicular magnetic recording system, it is difficult to receive the phenomenon of thermal fluctuation, and stable recording with high writing reliability can be performed. Moreover, since the peak position of the heating temperature can be set at a position where the recording magnetic field acts locally, the coercive force at a predetermined position of the magnetic recording medium can be reduced. Therefore, recording can be performed reliably and high density recording can be achieved.

  In addition, the spot light generating element can generate spot light while condensing a light beam along a substantially straight optical axis from the upper surface side of the slider toward the other end side toward the magnetic recording medium. A lens whose axis is not inclined and whose position is difficult to adjust is unnecessary. Therefore, the light beam can be efficiently collected to generate spot light, and the magnetic recording medium can be efficiently heated. Therefore, writing reliability can be improved.

  In particular, the spot light generating element is formed longer than the thickness of the slider, and the length is adjusted so that the rate of reduction of the cross-sectional area of the core that is gradually drawn is less than or equal to a predetermined value. For this reason, the spot size of the light beam can be reduced slowly and gradually, rather than abruptly. By the way, when the spot size of the light beam is abruptly reduced, the light propagation efficiency deteriorates, and it is difficult to convert all the introduced light beam into spot light. However, since the spot size is gradually reduced as described above, the spot light can be gradually narrowed down without wasting the light flux. Therefore, the generation efficiency of the spot light can be increased, and the magnetic recording medium can be efficiently heated.

  In addition, since the spot light generating element can be configured by the core and the clad, the configuration can be facilitated. Furthermore, since the recording element and the spot light generating element are sequentially arranged on the leading end surface of the slider, it is possible to prevent each component from overlapping in the thickness direction of the slider as much as possible. Moreover, even if the spot light generating element is designed to be long, the thickness of the slider can be reduced as much as possible without being affected by this, so that the thickness can be reduced with a compact design. Therefore, when the slider is lifted from the magnetic recording medium, it is possible to realize low flying height.

  As described above, according to the recording head of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently collect a light beam and generate spot light, and to improve writing reliability. In addition, the size and thickness can be reduced.

  The recording head according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the recording head according to the present invention, the clad is formed with one end of the core exposed to the outside.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, since the clad is formed with one end side of the core exposed to the outside, the light beam can be directly introduced into the core without passing through the clad. Therefore, it is possible to introduce the light flux with the loss suppressed as much as possible. As a result, spot light can be generated more efficiently, and the magnetic recording medium can be heated more efficiently.

  The recording head according to the present invention is the recording head according to the present invention, wherein the spot light generating element generates near-field light from the spot light and emits the near-field light from the other end side to the outside. A near-field light generating element is provided.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, since the spot light generating element is provided with the near-field light generating element, after the light beam is condensed into spot light, the spot size is further reduced to obtain near-field light. be able to. Therefore, the magnetic recording medium can be heated in a further minute area, and higher density recording can be achieved.

  The recording head according to the present invention is characterized in that in the recording head of the present invention, the recording head includes a reproducing element that outputs an electric signal corresponding to the magnitude of the magnetic field leaking from the recording medium. is there.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, the reproducing element outputs an electric signal corresponding to the magnitude of the magnetic field leaking from the magnetic recording medium. Therefore, not only the information recording but also the information recorded on the magnetic recording medium can be reproduced based on the electric signal output from the reproducing element.

  The recording head according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the recording head of the present invention, the reproducing element is provided between the slider and the recording element.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, since the reproducing element is provided between the slider and the recording element, the reproducing element, the recording element, and the spot light generating element are arranged in order from the leading end surface side of the slider. Therefore, the recording element and the spot light generating element can be brought as close to the magnetic recording medium as possible even when the slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium is inclined with the front end faced toward the magnetic recording medium. . Therefore, the spot light and the recording magnetic field can be more efficiently applied to the magnetic recording medium, and high-density recording can be performed.

  The recording head according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the recording head of the present invention, the reproducing element is attached in a state of being embedded in the clad.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, since the reproducing element is embedded in the clad in which the core is confined, the thickness of the reproducing element can be absorbed by the clad. For this reason, even if the slider arranged opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium is inclined with the front end face facing the magnetic recording medium, the recording element and the spot light generating element can be as close to the magnetic recording medium as possible. it can. Therefore, the spot light and the recording magnetic field can be more efficiently applied to the magnetic recording medium, and high-density recording can be performed.

  The recording head according to the present invention can move in the direction parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium and the recording head of the present invention, and is about two axes parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium and perpendicular to each other. A beam that supports the recording head on the distal end side, a light source that makes the light beam incident on the light beam introducing means, a base end side of the beam, and the beam An actuator for moving the magnetic recording medium in a direction parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium, a rotation driving section for rotating the magnetic recording medium in the fixed direction, and a control section for controlling the operation of the recording element and the light source. It is characterized by that.

  In the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, the magnetic recording medium is rotated in a certain direction by the rotation drive unit, and then the beam is moved by the actuator to scan the recording head. Then, the recording head is disposed at a desired position on the magnetic recording medium. At this time, the recording head is supported by the beam so as to be rotatable about two axes parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium and orthogonal to each other, that is, twistable about the two axes. Therefore, even if waviness occurs in the magnetic recording medium, the wind pressure change caused by the waviness or the directly transmitted wave change can be absorbed by twisting, and the posture of the recording head can be stabilized.

  Thereafter, the control unit activates the recording element and the light source. Thereby, the recording head can record information on the magnetic recording medium by cooperating the spot light and the recording magnetic field. In particular, since the above-described recording head is provided, the writing reliability is high, high-density recording can be supported, and high quality can be achieved. At the same time, a reduction in size and thickness can be achieved.

According to the recording head of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently collect a light beam and generate spot light, and to improve writing reliability. In addition, the size and thickness can be reduced.
Further, according to the information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, since the recording head described above is provided, the writing reliability is high, the recording density can be increased, and the quality can be improved. . At the same time, a reduction in size and thickness can be achieved.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Note that the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for writing on a disk (magnetic recording medium) D having a perpendicular recording layer d2 by a perpendicular recording method. Further, in the present embodiment, an air floating type in which the recording head 2 is floated using the flow of air rotating the disk D will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is movable in the XY directions parallel to the recording head 2 and the disk surface (the surface of the magnetic recording medium) D1, and is parallel to the disk surface D1. A beam 3 that supports the recording head 2 on the distal end side while being rotatable about two axes (X axis, Y axis) orthogonal to each other, and the optical waveguide from the proximal end side of the optical waveguide (light flux introducing means) 4 An optical signal controller (light source) 5 for causing the light beam L to enter the beam 4, and an actuator 6 for supporting the base end side of the beam 3 and moving the beam 3 in the XY directions parallel to the disk surface D1. , A spindle motor (rotation drive unit) 7 that rotates the disk D in a certain direction, and a control unit that supplies a current modulated in accordance with information to a coil 33 described later and controls the operation of the optical signal controller 5 When, and a housing 9 that houses the respective components therein.

  The housing 9 is made of a metal material such as aluminum and has a quadrangular shape when viewed from above, and a recess 9a for accommodating each component is formed inside. Further, a lid (not shown) is detachably fixed to the housing 9 so as to close the opening of the recess 9a. The spindle motor 7 is attached to substantially the center of the recess 9a, and the disc D is detachably fixed by fitting a center hole into the spindle motor 7. The actuator 6 is attached to the corner of the recess 9a. A carriage 11 is attached to the actuator 6 via a bearing 10, and a beam 3 is attached to the tip of the carriage 11. The carriage 11 and the beam 3 are both movable in the XY directions by driving the actuator 6.

  The carriage 11 and the beam 3 are retracted from the disk D by driving the actuator 6 when the rotation of the disk D is stopped. The recording head 2 and the beam 3 constitute a suspension 12. The optical signal controller 5 is mounted in the recess 9 a so as to be adjacent to the actuator 6. The control unit 8 is attached adjacent to the actuator 6.

The recording head 2 heats the rotating disk D by the spot light R generated by condensing the light beam L and applies a recording magnetic field in the perpendicular direction to the disk D, thereby causing magnetization reversal and It is to be recorded.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the recording head 2 is disposed so as to face the disk D in a state where it floats a predetermined distance H from the disk surface D1, and has a slider 20 having a facing surface 20a facing the disk surface D1, A reproducing element 21 fixed to the front end surface of the slider 20 (hereinafter referred to as a side surface on the inflow end side), a recording element 22 fixed adjacent to the reproducing element 21, and adjacent to the recording element 22 And a spot size converter (spot light generation element) 23 fixed in this manner, and an optical waveguide 4 for introducing a light beam L from the optical signal controller 5 into a core 40 (to be described later) of the spot size converter 23. .

  The slider 20 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a light transmissive material such as quartz glass, a ceramic such as AlTiC (altic), or the like. The slider 20 is supported so as to hang from the tip of the beam 3 via the gimbal portion 24 with the opposing surface 20a facing the disk D. The gimbal portion 24 is a component whose movement is restricted so as to be displaced only around the X axis and around the Y axis. As a result, the slider 20 is rotatable about two axes (X axis and Y axis) that are parallel to the disk surface D1 and orthogonal to each other as described above.

Here, a detailed configuration of the gimbal portion 24 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tip of the beam 3 viewed from the slider 20 side with the slider 20 facing upward. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tip of the beam 3 viewed from the beam 3 side with the slider 20 facing upward. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the tip of the beam 3 with the slider 20 facing upward.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a sheet-like gimbal plate 25 whose outer shape is formed in a square shape is attached to the lower surface side of the tip of the beam 3. The gimbal plate 25 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and is formed to slightly warp downward from the middle to the tip. The distal end side to which the warp is applied is fixed to the beam 3 from the base end side to the vicinity of the middle so as not to contact the beam 3.
Further, a pad portion 25a is formed on the tip end side of the beam 3 in a floating state, and the periphery is wound in a U shape, and the angle is set so that only the pad portion 25a is parallel to the lower surface of the beam 3. It has been adjusted. The recording head 2 is placed and fixed on the pad portion 25a. That is, the recording head 2 is in a state of hanging from the tip of the beam 3 via the pad portion 25a.

Further, at the tip of the beam 3, a pad portion 25 a and a protruding portion 26 that protrudes toward the approximate center of the recording head 2 are formed. The tip of the projection 26 is rounded. The protrusion 26 comes into point contact with the surface of the pad portion 25a when the recording head 2 floats to the beam 3 side by the wind pressure received from the disk D. This rising force is transmitted from the protrusion 26 to the beam 3 and acts to bend the beam 3.
Further, when wind pressure is applied to the recording head 2 due to the undulation of the disk D, the recording head 2 and the pad portion 25a are twisted around the X-axis and Y-axis with the protrusion 26 as the center. Yes. Thereby, the wind pressure caused by the undulation of the disk D can be absorbed, and the posture of the recording head 2 at the time of flying is stabilized.
That is, the gimbal plate 25 having the protrusions 26 and the pad portions 25a functions as the gimbal portion 24 described above. In each of the drawings other than FIGS. 5 to 7, the gimbal portion 24 is simplified.

  On the opposing surface 20a of the slider 20, as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, a ridge portion 20b is formed that generates pressure to rise due to the viscosity of the air flow generated by the rotating disk D. In this embodiment, the case where the two protruding item | lines parts 20b extended along the longitudinal direction are formed so that it may rank with a rail shape is made into the example. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the slider 20 is optimally adjusted by adjusting the positive pressure for separating the slider 20 from the disk surface D1 and the negative pressure for attracting the slider 20 to the disk surface D1. Any irregular shape may be used as long as it is designed to float in a state. In addition, the surface of this protruding item | line part 20b is made into ABS (Air Bearing Surface).

The slider 20 receives a force that rises from the disk surface D1 by the two ridges 20b. Further, the beam 3 bends in the Z direction perpendicular to the disk surface D1, and absorbs the flying force of the slider 20. That is, the slider 20 receives a force pressed against the disk surface D1 side by the beam 3 when it floats. Therefore, the slider 20 floats in a state of being separated from the disk surface D1 by a predetermined distance H as described above due to the balance between the forces of the two. Moreover, since the slider 20 is rotated about the X axis and the Y axis by the gimbal portion 24, the slider 20 always floats in a stable posture.
The air flow generated by the rotation of the disk D flows from the inflow end side (base end side of the beam 3) of the slider 20 and then flows along the ABS to the outflow end side of the slider 20 (tip of the beam 3). Side).

  The reproducing element 21 is a magnetoresistive film whose electric resistance is converted according to the magnitude of the magnetic field leaking from the perpendicular recording layer d2 of the disk D. A bias current is supplied to the reproducing element 21 from the control unit 8 via a lead film (not shown). Thus, the control unit 8 can detect a change in the magnetic field leaking from the disk D as a change in voltage, and can reproduce a signal from the change in voltage.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the recording element 22 is connected to the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 adjacent to the reproducing element 21 and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 via the magnetic circuit 31 and is perpendicular to the disk D. Is generated between the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 and a coil 33 that spirally winds around the magnetic circuit 31 around the magnetic circuit 31. That is, the auxiliary magnetic pole 30, the magnetic circuit 31, the coil 33, and the main magnetic pole 32 are arranged in this order from the outflow end side of the slider 20 with the reproducing element 21 therebetween.

  Both the magnetic poles 30 and 32 and the magnetic circuit 31 are formed of a high saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) material (for example, a CoNiFe alloy, a CoFe alloy, etc.) having a high magnetic flux density. Further, the coil 33 is disposed so that there is a gap between adjacent coil wires, between the magnetic circuit 31 and between the magnetic poles 30 and 32 so as not to be short-circuited. Molded. The coil 33 is supplied with a current modulated according to information from the control unit 8. That is, the magnetic circuit 31 and the coil 33 constitute an electromagnet as a whole. The main magnetic pole 32 and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 are designed so that the end faces facing the disk D are flush with the ABS of the slider 20.

The spot size converter 23 is an element that generates the spot light R from the light flux L introduced from one end side and emits the spot light R from the other end side to the outside, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10. Further, it is composed of a core 40 and a clad 41. At this time, the spot size converter 23 is substantially plate-shaped as a whole, and is formed so that the total length T2 is longer than the thickness T1 of the slider 20, as shown in FIG.
The spot size converter 23 configured as described above is fixed adjacent to the main magnetic pole 32 with one end side facing the upper side of the slider 20 and the other end side facing the disk D side. Spot light R is generated in the vicinity of 32.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the slider 20 and the spot size converter 23 as viewed from the side of the outflow end of the slider 20. FIG. 9 is a view of the relationship between the core 40 and the slider 20 as seen from the direction of the arrow A shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a view of the spot size converter 23 shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the disk D side.

The core 40 is formed by drawing so that a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z direction) gradually decreases in a direction from one end side to the other end side, and the light flux L introduced from one end side is condensed inside. However, it is propagated toward the other end side to generate the spot light R, and is a polyhedral element formed by the reflection surface 40a and the light beam condensing part 40b.
The reflecting surface 40a reflects the light beam L introduced by the optical waveguide 4 from one end side in a direction different from the introduction direction (for example, the direction of the light beam L changes by approximately 90 degrees). The light beam condensing part 40b is a portion formed by drawing so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z direction) from one end side to the other end side is gradually reduced, and the light beam L reflected by the reflecting surface 40a is reduced. The light is propagated toward the other end while being condensed. That is, the light beam condensing unit 40b can reduce the spot size of the introduced light beam L to a small size.

  In the present embodiment, the light beam condensing part 40 b is formed so as to have three side surfaces, and one of the side surfaces is arranged to face the main magnetic pole 32. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the light beam condensing part 40b is a surface in which the end surface 40c exposed to the outside on the other end side is formed in a triangular shape. The maximum linear length L1 that can be secured on the end face 40c is designed to be about 1 μm. Thereby, the spot size of the light beam L can be reduced to the same size as the maximum linear length L1, that is, the diameter can be reduced to about 1 μm, and the spot light R of this size can be emitted from the end face 40c to the outside. . The end face 40c is designed to be flush with the ABS of the slider 20.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the light beam condensing part 40b is gradually drawn toward the main magnetic pole 32 side. As a result, the end face 40 c is positioned on the main magnetic pole 32 side, and the spot light R having the above size can be generated in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole 32. The term “near” in the present invention refers to a region within a range that is separated from the main magnetic pole 32 by a distance that is about the same as or smaller than the diameter of the spot light R generated from the end face 40c. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, the distance between the main magnetic pole 32 and the end face 40c of the light beam condensing part 40b is about 1 μm, which is about the same as the diameter (maximum linear length L1) of the spot light R, or less. Designed to be a distance.

  By the way, as described above, the spot size converter 23 is formed longer than the thickness T1 of the slider 20, but in detail, the length is such that the reduction rate of the cross-sectional area of the core 40 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. It has been adjusted. For this reason, the light flux L collected inside the core 40 is designed so that the spot size is not reduced suddenly but is gradually narrowed down and reduced.

  The clad 41 is made of a material having a refractive index lower than that of the core 40. The clad 41 is in close contact with the side surface of the core 40 with the end surface 40c on the other end side of the core 40 exposed to the outside. Confined inside. Because of such close contact, no gap is formed between the core 40 and the clad 41. Further, the clad 41 of the present embodiment is formed so that the reflection surface 40a of the core 40 is also exposed to the outside.

An example of a combination of materials used for the clad 41 and the core 40 is described, for example, a combination in which the core 40 is formed of quartz (SiO ₂ ) and the clad 41 is formed of quartz doped with fluorine. In this case, when the wavelength of the light beam L is 400 nm, the refractive index of the core 40 is 1.47, and the refractive index of the clad 41 is less than 1.47, which is a preferable combination. A combination in which the core 40 is formed of quartz doped with germanium and the cladding 41 is formed of quartz (SiO ₂ ) is also conceivable. In this case, when the wavelength of the light beam L is 400 nm, the refractive index of the core 40 becomes larger than 1.47, and the refractive index of the clad 41 becomes 1.47.
In particular, the greater the difference in refractive index between the core 40 and the clad 41, the greater the force confining the light beam L in the core 40. Therefore, the tantalum oxide (Ta ₂ O ₅ : when the wavelength is 550 nm) has a refractive index. 2.16) and using quartz or the like for the clad 41 to increase the difference in refractive index between the two is more preferable. In addition, when the luminous flux L in the infrared region is used, it is also effective to form the core 40 from silicon (Si: refractive index is about 4) which is a material transparent to infrared light.

As shown in FIG. 4, the optical waveguide 4 is a waveguide composed of a core 4a and a clad 4b, and a light beam L propagates through the core 4a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 7, the optical waveguide 4 is guided to the distal end side of the beam 3 while being fixed to the beam 3, and then is separated from the beam 3 and moved to the slider 20 on the way. It is in the state arrange | positioned in parallel with respect. At this time, the tip of the optical waveguide 4 is connected to one end side of the spot size converter 23, and the light flux L is introduced into the core 40 through the clad 41. The proximal end side of the optical waveguide 4 is connected to the optical signal controller 5 after being drawn out to the optical signal controller 5 through the beam 3 and the carriage 11.
As shown in FIG. 9, the positional relationship between the spot size converter 23 and the optical waveguide 4 is adjusted so that the light beam L introduced into the core 40 from the optical waveguide 4 enters the approximate center of the reflecting surface 40a. ing.

The disk D of the present embodiment is a perpendicular structure composed of at least two layers: a perpendicular recording layer d2 having an easy axis in the direction perpendicular to the disk surface D1, and a soft magnetic layer d3 made of a high magnetic permeability material. A bilayer disc is used. As such a disk D, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a soft magnetic layer d3, an intermediate layer d4, a perpendicular recording layer d2, a protective layer d5, and a lubricating layer d6 are sequentially formed on a substrate d1. Use the film.
Examples of the substrate d1 include an aluminum substrate and a glass substrate. The soft magnetic layer d3 is a high magnetic permeability layer. The intermediate layer d4 is a crystal control layer of the perpendicular recording layer d2. The perpendicular recording layer d2 is a perpendicular anisotropic magnetic layer, and for example, a CoCrPt alloy is used. The protective layer d5 is for protecting the perpendicular recording layer d2, and for example, a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film is used. For the lubrication layer d6, for example, a fluorine-based liquid lubricant is used.

Next, a case where various kinds of information is recorded / reproduced on / from the disk D by the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described below.
First, the spindle motor 7 is driven to rotate the disk D in a certain direction. Next, the actuator 6 is operated to scan the beam 3 in the XY directions via the carriage 11. As a result, the recording head 2 can be positioned at a desired position on the disk D as shown in FIG. At this time, the recording head 2 receives a force that rises by the two ridges 20b formed on the opposing surface 20a of the slider 20, and is pressed against the disk D side by a predetermined force by the beam 3 or the like. The recording head 2 floats to a position separated from the disk D by a predetermined distance H as shown in FIG.

Further, even if the recording head 2 receives wind pressure generated due to the undulation of the disk D, the displacement in the Z direction is absorbed by the beam 3 and can be displaced around the XY axis by the gimbal portion 24. Therefore, wind pressure caused by swell can be absorbed. Therefore, the recording head 2 can be floated in a stable state.
Even when the attitude of the slider 20 fluctuates when absorbing the wind pressure due to the swell, the optical waveguide 4 bends. Therefore, there is no possibility that the optical waveguide 4 will be stretched and hinder the fluctuation of the attitude of the slider 20. .

Here, when recording information, the control unit 8 operates the optical signal controller 5 and supplies a current modulated in accordance with the information to the coil 33 to operate the recording element 22.
First, in response to an instruction from the control unit 8, the optical signal controller 5 causes the light beam L to enter from the proximal end side of the optical waveguide 4. The incident light beam L travels in the core 4a of the optical waveguide 4 toward the tip side, and is introduced into the core 40 from the one end side of the spot size converter 23 through the clad 41 as shown in FIG. At this time, the light beam L is introduced into the core 40 in a direction parallel to the slider 20. Then, the introduced light beam L is reflected by the reflecting surface 40a and changes its direction by approximately 90 degrees. That is, the direction changes in a direction different from the introduction direction. Then, the light beam L whose direction has been changed propagates while being repeatedly reflected inside the light beam condensing unit 40b toward the other end side located on the disk D side.

At this time, the light beam condensing part 40b is drawn so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from one end side to the other end side gradually decreases. Therefore, the light beam L propagates through the core 40 while being gradually condensed when passing through the light beam condensing part 40b. Therefore, the light beam L is narrowed down when it reaches the other end side of the core 40, and the spot size is reduced. That is, the light beam condensing unit 40b can narrow the spot size of the introduced light beam L to a small size having a diameter of about 1 μm. Thereby, the spot light R can be generated and emitted from the end face 40c on the other end side to the outside.
In particular, since the clad 41 is in close contact with the side surface of the core 40, the propagating light beam L does not leak to the outside of the core 40 on the way. Therefore, the introduced light beam L can be efficiently converted into the spot light R without wasting it.

  Then, the disk D is locally heated by the spot light R, and the coercive force is temporarily reduced. In particular, the core 40 is adjacent to the main magnetic pole 32 and generates the spot light R in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole 32, that is, within a range separated from the main magnetic pole 32 by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the spot light R. Therefore, the coercive force of the disk D can be reduced at a position as close as possible to the main magnetic pole 32.

  On the other hand, when a current is supplied to the coil 33 by the control unit 8, the current magnetic field generates a magnetic field in the magnetic circuit 31 according to the electromagnet principle, so that the disk D is interposed between the main magnetic pole 32 and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30. A perpendicular recording magnetic field can be generated. Then, the magnetic flux generated from the main magnetic pole 32 side passes straight through the perpendicular recording layer d2 of the disk D and reaches the soft magnetic layer d3. As a result, recording can be performed in a state where the magnetization of the perpendicular recording layer d2 is directed perpendicular to the disk surface D1. Further, the magnetic flux reaching the soft magnetic layer d3 returns to the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 via the soft magnetic layer d3. At this time, when returning to the auxiliary magnetic pole 30, the magnetization direction is not affected. This is because the area of the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 facing the disk surface D1 is larger than that of the main magnetic pole 32, so that the magnetic flux density is large and a force sufficient to reverse the magnetization does not occur. That is, recording can be performed only on the main magnetic pole 32 side.

  As a result, information can be recorded by a hybrid magnetic recording method in which the spot light R and the recording magnetic fields generated by the magnetic poles 30 and 32 cooperate. Moreover, since the recording is performed by the vertical recording method, it is difficult to be affected by the thermal fluctuation phenomenon and the like, and stable recording can be performed. Therefore, writing reliability can be improved. In addition, since the peak position of the heating temperature can be set at a position where the recording magnetic field acts locally, the coercive force at a predetermined position of the disk D can be reduced. Accordingly, recording can be performed reliably, reliability can be improved, and high density recording can be achieved.

  Next, when reproducing the information recorded on the disc D, the reproducing element 21 fixed adjacent to the spot size converter 23 receives the magnetic field leaking from the perpendicular recording layer d2 of the disc D. Thus, the electrical resistance changes according to the size. Therefore, the voltage of the reproducing element 21 changes. Thereby, the control unit 8 can detect a change in the magnetic field leaking from the disk D as a change in voltage. And the control part 8 can reproduce | regenerate information by reproducing | regenerating a signal from the change of this voltage.

  As described above, according to the spot size converter 23 of the present embodiment, the spot is collected while being condensed along the substantially straight optical axis from the upper surface side of the slider 20 toward the end surface 40c on the other end side toward the disk D. Since the light R can be generated, there is no need for a lens whose optical axis is not inclined as in the prior art and whose position adjustment is difficult. Accordingly, the light beam L can be efficiently collected to generate the spot light R, and the disk D can be efficiently heated. Therefore, writing reliability can be improved.

  In particular, the spot size converter 23 is formed such that the total length T2 is longer than the thickness T1 of the slider 20, and the rate of reduction of the cross-sectional area of the core 40 that is gradually drawn is not limited by the thickness of the slider 20. The length has been adjusted to: For this reason, the spot size of the light beam L can be reduced gradually and gradually rather than abruptly. By the way, when the spot size of the light beam L is abruptly reduced, the light propagation efficiency deteriorates, and it is difficult to convert all the introduced light beam L into the spot light R. However, since the spot size is gradually reduced as described above, the light beam L can be gradually narrowed down to the spot light R without wasting it. Therefore, the generation efficiency of the spot light R can be increased, and the disk D can be heated efficiently.

  Further, since the spot size converter 23 can be configured by the core 40 and the clad 41, the configuration can be facilitated. Furthermore, since the reproducing element 21, the recording element 22, and the spot size converter 23 are arranged in this order on the side surface on the outflow end side of the slider 20, each component is prevented from overlapping in the thickness direction of the slider 20. Yes. In addition, even if the spot size converter 23 is designed to be long, the thickness of the slider 20 can be reduced as much as possible without being influenced by this, so that the thickness can be reduced with a compact design. Therefore, low flying of the slider 20 can be realized.

  In the recording head 2 of the present embodiment, the reproducing element 21 is provided between the slider 20 and the recording element 22. Therefore, the spot size converter 23 and the recording element 22 are close to the outflow end side of the slider 20. Here, the attitude of the slider 20 at the time of flying will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 11, the slider 20 is not horizontal with respect to the disk surface D1, but is slightly inclined. Specifically, with the outflow end side approaching the disk D, the angle θ formed by the disk surface D1 and the ABS of the slider 20 is inclined so as to maintain a minute angle (for example, about 1 ° to 5 °). Therefore, the distance H from the disk surface D1 is gradually separated from the outflow end of the slider 20 toward the inflow end. That is, the outflow end side of the slider 20 is in a state closest to the disk surface D1.

  However, since the spot size converter 23 and the recording element 22 are closer to the outflow end side of the slider 20, both can be brought closer to the disk surface D1. Therefore, the spot light R and the recording magnetic field can be reliably applied to the disk D. In this respect as well, high density recording can be achieved.

  Moreover, according to the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the recording head 2 described above is provided, the writing reliability is high, the recording density can be increased, and the quality can be improved. Can do. At the same time, a reduction in size and thickness can be achieved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, the light beam L is condensed to generate the spot light R, and the disk D is heated by the spot light R. The recording head 2 of the embodiment is that the near-field light R1 is further generated from the spot light R and the disk D is heated by the near-field light R1.

That is, the recording head 50 of the present embodiment includes a spot size converter (spot light generating element) 52 provided with a near-field light generating element 51 as shown in FIGS. FIG. 13 is a view of the relationship between the core 40 and the slider 20 as seen from the direction of the arrow B shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 14, the near-field light generating element 51 includes a light shielding film 53 formed on the end face 40 c of the core 40, and a minute opening 54 formed at the approximate center of the light shielding film 53. . The minute opening 54 is, for example, a circular opening having a diameter of several tens to several hundreds of nm.

According to the spot size converter 52 configured in this way, after the light flux L is condensed into the spot light R, the spot size can be further reduced to obtain the near-field light R1. That is, the light beam L condensed by the light beam condensing unit 40 b comes out after passing through the minute aperture 54. At this time, since the spot size is further reduced by passing through the minute opening 54, the near-field light R1 is obtained. Therefore, in this case, near-field light R1 having a spot size comparable to that of the minute opening 54 is generated.
Therefore, the near-field light R1 can heat the disk D in a smaller area, and can achieve higher density recording. In this case, the distance between the main magnetic pole 32 and the end face 40c of the light beam condensing part 40b may be designed to be a distance of several tens to several hundreds of nanometers, which is about the same as the diameter of the near-field light R1. By doing so, the recording magnetic field can be surely placed within the range heated by the near-field light R1.

  In the present embodiment, the minute opening 54 is circular, but is not limited to this shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, it may be a triangular minute opening 54. Even in this case, the near-field light R1 can be generated. Particularly in this case, it is preferable to introduce the light beam L into the optical waveguide 4 after adjusting the polarization component of the light beam L in the direction of the arrow L2 shown in the drawing. By doing so, the near-field light R1 can be concentrated and concentrated in the vicinity of one side (region S shown in the drawing) of the minute aperture 54 that is a portion orthogonal to the polarization direction. Therefore, higher density recording can be achieved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the minute openings 54 may be formed so that the triangular protrusions 55 face each other with a minute gap. By doing so, the near-field light R1 can be concentrated and localized in a minute gap, so that higher density recording can be achieved.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, a minute scatterer 56 that scatters the collected light beam L may be formed in a minute opening 54 formed in a square shape. The minute scatterer 56 may be formed, for example, by vapor deposition or film formation on the end surface 40c so as to be at the substantially center position of the minute opening 54. By doing so, the near-field light R1 can be concentrated in the vicinity of the minute scatterer 56, so that further high-density recording can be achieved. Note that the minute scatterer 56 functions as the near-field light generating element 51.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that, in the second embodiment, the light shielding film 53 and the minute opening 54 constitute the near-field light generating element 51, but the recording head 60 of the third embodiment is different from the third embodiment. The near-field light generating element 61 is configured using the metal film 63.

That is, in the recording head 60 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 21, an inclined surface 40d is formed in the vicinity of the other end side of the core 40, and the other end side is further drawn by the inclined surface 40d. A spot size converter (spot light generating element) 62 is provided. Thereby, the spot size of the light beam L propagating through the core 40 can be further reduced and reduced.
FIG. 19 is a view of the relationship between the core 40 and the slider 20 as seen from the direction of the arrow C shown in FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the other end side of the core 40 shown in FIG. 18, and FIG. 21 is a view seen from the direction of arrow D shown in FIG.

  On the inclined surface 40d, a metal film 63 for generating the near-field light R1 is formed over the entire surface with a predetermined film thickness. Examples of such a metal film 63 include a gold film, a silver film, and a platinum film. In particular, a gold film is preferable because it is resistant to oxidation and excellent in durability. The inclined surface 40d and the metal film 63 function as the near-field light generating element 61.

According to the spot size converter 62 configured in this way, the spot size is further reduced by the portion of the light beam L whose spot size has been reduced by the core 40 and further drawn by the inclined surface 40d. At the same time, the light beam L having a reduced spot size is incident on the metal film 63 formed on the inclined surface 40d. Then, surface plasmons are excited in the metal film 63. The excited surface plasmon propagates toward the other end side of the core 40 along the interface between the metal film 63 and the inclined surface 40d while being enhanced by the resonance effect. And when it reaches the end surface 40c, it becomes near field light R1 with strong light intensity and leaks outside. Therefore, as in the second embodiment, the near-field light R1 can be used to heat the disk D in a further minute area, and further high density recording can be achieved.
In particular, in the present embodiment, since the near-field light R1 can be localized at the interface between the inclined surface 40d and the metal film 63, the physical design of the core 40, for example, the size of the end surface 40c of the core 40, etc. It is possible to stably generate near-field light R1 having a high light intensity without being relatively affected by the above. Therefore, the writing reliability can be further improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The difference between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment is that the tip of the optical waveguide 4 is connected to the spot size converter 23 in the first embodiment, but the recording head 70 of the fourth embodiment is optically This is that the tip of the waveguide 4 is not in contact with the spot size converter 23.

That is, in the recording head 70 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, after the optical waveguide 4 is fixed to the tip side of the beam 3, it is separated from the beam 3 and is parallel to the slider 20. Has been placed. At this time, the distal end side of the optical waveguide 4 is disposed so as to face the reflecting surface 40 a of the core 40 in a non-contact state with respect to the spot size converter 23. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the light beam L is propagated from the optical waveguide 4 through the air at one end and then introduced into the spot size converter 23.
The optical waveguide 4 is adjusted so as to be separated from the slider 20 by a certain distance so as not to hinder the posture change of the slider 20 even if the posture of the slider 20 changes due to the undulation of the disk D.

  According to the recording head 70 configured as described above, since the spot size converter 23 and the optical waveguide 4 are separated from each other, the posture of the slider 20 can be changed without being affected by the optical waveguide 4 at all. Therefore, the slider 20 can be floated more stably, and the reliability of recording and reproduction can be further increased.

  In addition, since the spot size converter 23 is formed longer than the thickness T1 of the slider 20, it is possible to design a relatively large size on one end side where the light beam L is introduced. Therefore, even if the spot size converter 23 is slightly inclined due to the posture change of the slider 20, the light flux L can be always stably introduced from the optical waveguide 4 toward the reflecting surface 40a of the core 40. That is, even if the optical waveguide 4 and the spot size converter 23 are in a non-contact state, the introduction of the light flux L is not affected. In the above embodiment, the gap between the optical waveguide 4 and the beam 3 may be fixed with an adhesive or the like.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
The difference between the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, the reproducing element 21, the recording element 22, and the spot size converter 23 are fixed in order from the side surface on the outflow end side of the slider 20. However, the recording head 80 of the fifth embodiment is that the reproducing element 21 is provided in a state of being embedded in the clad 41 of the spot size converter 23.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 23, the reproducing element 21 of the recording head 80 of the present embodiment is embedded in a part of the clad 41 that confines the core 40 therein. Therefore, the thickness of the reproducing element 21 can be absorbed by the clad 41. Therefore, even if the slider 20 is inclined and floats, the spot size converter 23 and the recording element 22 can be brought closer to the disk surface D1 as in the case of the first embodiment. Therefore, even in this case, the spot R and the recording magnetic field can be applied to the disk D, and high-density recording can be performed.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the air floating type information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 in which each recording head is levitated has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. D and the slider 20 may be in contact with each other. That is, the recording head according to the present invention may be a contact slider 20 type head. Even in this case, the same effects can be achieved.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the optical waveguide 4 is fixed to the upper surface side of the beam 3 has been described as an example. However, as illustrated in FIG. 24, the optical waveguide 4 is fixed to the lower surface side of the beam 3. It doesn't matter. Even in this case, the same effects can be achieved. However, by fixing the optical waveguide 4 to the upper surface side of the beam 3, the overall length L2 of the spot size converter 23 can be made longer, so that the light propagation efficiency can be further increased, which is preferable.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an information recording / reproducing apparatus having a recording head according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the recording head shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the recording head shown in FIG. 2 viewed from the disk surface side. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the side surface on the outflow end side of the recording head shown in FIG. It is a figure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mounting state of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 4, and is a perspective view of the recording head viewed from the slider side with the slider of the recording head facing upward. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mounting state of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 4, and is a perspective view of the recording head viewed from the beam side with a slider of the recording head facing upward. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mounting state of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 4 and a cross-sectional view in a state where a slider of the recording head is directed upward. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 4. It is the figure which looked at the relationship between the core of the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. 4, and a slider from the arrow A direction. It is the figure which looked at the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. 4 from the disc side. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where the recording head shown in FIG. 2 is flying over the disk in a tilted state. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the recording head according to the present invention, showing a configuration of a spot light generating element including a near-field light generating element that generates near-field light, and proximity when recording is performed. It is the figure which showed the relationship between field light and a recording magnetic field. It is the figure which looked at the relationship between the core of the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. It is the figure which looked at the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. 12 from the disk side. It is a figure which shows the modification of the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 14, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the near-field light generating element which has the micro opening formed in triangle shape. It is a figure which shows the modification of the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 14, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the near-field light generating element which has the micro opening formed so that the triangular-shaped protrusion might face through a micro clearance gap. is there. It is a figure which shows the modification of the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 14, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the near-field light generating element which has the minute opening in which the metal scatterer was formed in the approximate center. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of a recording head according to the present invention, showing a configuration of a spot light generating element including a near-field light generating element that generates near-field light, and proximity when recording is performed. It is the figure which showed the relationship between field light and a recording magnetic field. It is the figure which looked at the relationship between the core of the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing to which the other end side of the spot light generation element shown in FIG. 18 was expanded. It is the figure which looked at the spot light production | generation element shown in FIG. 20 from the arrow D direction. It is a figure which shows 4th Embodiment of the recording head based on this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of a recording head according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing a modification of the recording head according to the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the recording head in which the optical waveguide is fixed to the lower surface side of the beam.

Explanation of symbols

D disk (magnetic recording medium)
D1 disk surface (surface of magnetic recording medium)
L light beam R spot light R1 near-field light 1 information recording / reproducing apparatus 2, 50, 60, 70, 80 recording head 3 beam 4 optical waveguide (light beam introducing means)
5 Optical signal controller (light source)
6 Actuator 7 Spindle motor (rotary drive)
8 Control unit 20 Slider 21 Reproducing element 22 Recording element 23, 52, 62 Spot size converter (spot light generating element)
30 Auxiliary magnetic pole 32 Main magnetic pole 40 Core 41 Clad 51, 61 Near-field light generating element

Claims (7)

Recording that records information by heating a magnetic recording medium that rotates in a certain direction with spot light generated by condensing a light beam and applying a perpendicular recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium to cause magnetization reversal. Head,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A recording element having a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole for generating the recording magnetic field and fixed to the front end surface of the slider so that both magnetic poles are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the slider with the auxiliary magnetic pole positioned on the front end surface side of the slider When,
The spot is formed by drawing so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the direction from one end to the other end gradually decreases, and the light beam introduced from one end side is propagated toward the other end side while being condensed inside. A core that generates light and emits the spot light from the other end side to the outside; and a clad that tightly adheres to the core with the other end side of the core exposed to the outside and confines the core inside. A spot light generating element that is fixed adjacent to the main magnetic pole in a state where the other end side faces the magnetic recording medium, and generates the spot light in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole,
A light flux introducing means arranged in parallel to the slider and for introducing the light flux into the core from the one end side,
The recording head is characterized in that the spot light generating element is formed longer than the thickness of the slider, and the length is adjusted so that the reduction rate of the cross-sectional area of the core is a predetermined value or less. The recording head according to claim 1,
The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the clad is formed with one end of the core exposed to the outside. The recording head according to claim 1 or 2,
The recording head, wherein the spot light generating element is provided with a near-field light generating element that generates near-field light from the spot light and emits the near-field light to the outside from the other end side. The recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A recording head comprising: a reproducing element that outputs an electric signal corresponding to the magnitude of a magnetic field leaking from the recording medium. The recording head according to claim 4, wherein
The recording head, wherein the reproducing element is provided between the slider and the recording element. The recording head according to claim 4, wherein
The recording head, wherein the reproducing element is attached in a state of being embedded in the clad. The recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A beam that is movable in a direction parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium and that supports the recording head on the tip side while being rotatable about two axes parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium and orthogonal to each other. When,
A light source for making the light beam incident on the light beam introducing means;
An actuator for supporting the base end side of the beam and moving the beam in a direction parallel to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A rotation drive unit for rotating the magnetic recording medium in the fixed direction;
An information recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls operations of the recording element and the light source.

Images