JP5804718B2 - Recording head and information recording / reproducing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording head for recording various information on a magnetic recording medium using local near-field light, and an information recording / reproducing apparatus having the recording head.

  In recent years, an information recording / reproducing apparatus such as a hard disk drive in a computer device has been demanded to have a higher density in response to a need to record and reproduce a larger amount of high-density information. Therefore, in order to minimize the influence of adjacent magnetic domains and thermal fluctuation, it is considered to employ a recording medium having a strong coercive force. Therefore, it has been difficult to record information on the recording medium.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, a magnetically assisted magnetic recording system in which the magnetic domain is locally heated using near-field light to temporarily reduce the coercive force and during which writing to the recording medium is performed. An information recording / reproducing apparatus has been devised and developed.

  Various recording heads using the above-described heat-assisted magnetic recording method have been proposed. As one of the recording heads, a near-field optical head that performs heating using near-field light is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a reflection unit that reflects light from an optical fiber and directs it toward a near-field light generating element, an optical waveguide that propagates reflected light from one end side to the other end side, and is installed at the distal end of the optical waveguide. There is disclosed a recording head in which a main magnetic pole is provided in the vicinity of the near-field light generating element. It is disclosed that the near-field light generating element has a tapered shape toward the head end surface, and can generate near-field light having a very strong electric field strength in the vicinity of the tip.

  Patent Document 2 includes a light source, a magnetic pole for applying a magnetic field to a recording medium, and a scatterer that generates near-field light in the vicinity of the magnetic pole when irradiated with light from the light source. Has disclosed a recording head formed so as to be in contact with the magnetic pole so that the surface of the scatterer irradiated with is perpendicular to the recording medium. It is disclosed that a strong and compact optical near field can be generated when the light-receiving surface of the scatterer is arranged perpendicular to the recording layer.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-200475 (FIG. 6) JP 2004-158067 A

However, the following problems remain in the conventional near-field optical head described above.
In Patent Document 1, the near-field light generating element is attached to the tip of an optical waveguide installed in parallel to the coating layer plane on the curved main pole. When forming the auxiliary magnetic pole, the coil, the coating layer, the main magnetic pole, and the near-field light generating element in order from the slider substrate side, the coating layer covered on the coil is raised at a place where the coil is present, and is predetermined at a place where there is no coil. It becomes a depressed shape with curvature. When the main magnetic pole is formed on the coating layer having such a shape, a curved main magnetic pole is formed. On the end face on the recording medium side, the main magnetic pole and the near-field light generating element are arranged as far apart as the coating layer. However, when the main magnetic pole is curved, the distance between the main magnetic pole and the near-field light generating element is increased accordingly. For this reason, if the shape of the optical waveguide is curved in accordance with the shape of the main magnetic pole, and the near-field light generating element is provided at the tip of the optical waveguide, the distance between the main magnetic pole and the near-field light generating element can be reduced. .

  However, if the optical waveguide is curved, the energy of the light beam is greatly reduced in the optical waveguide, and the intensity of near-field light is reduced.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, light is irradiated perpendicularly to the near-field light generating element. The light energy that the near-field light generating element could not absorb becomes scattered light such as reflection and transmission. For this reason, when the magnetic recording medium is irradiated with not only the near-field light but also the scattered light, the entire irradiation area on the magnetic recording medium becomes large, and information cannot be recorded at a high density.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to bring near-field light close to a recording magnetic field generated from a curved main pole and to irradiate only the near-field light to a magnetic recording medium. It is possible to provide a recording head and an information recording / reproducing apparatus that can realize high-density recording and can simplify the manufacturing process.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes the following means.
The recording head using near-field light for thermally-assisted magnetic recording according to the present invention heats a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and applies a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium to reverse magnetization. A recording head for recording information, a slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium, and a slider that is provided on the slider and generates a recording magnetic field. A main magnetic pole that is inclined with respect to the surface, a light supply unit that is provided on the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate near-field light, and an optical coupling that converts light energy from the light beam into plasmon excitation energy And near the main pole, and generates the near-field light using only plasmon excitation energy There, it is characterized in that and a near-field light generating element which is inclined with respect to the plane of the magnetic recording medium side of the slider.

  In the recording head according to the present invention, with respect to a rotating magnetic recording medium by a thermally assisted magnetic recording method in which a near-field light generated by a near-field light generating element and a recording magnetic field generated by the recording element cooperate. Information can be recorded.

  First, the slider is arranged facing the surface of the magnetic recording medium. For example, the recording element is fixed to the front end surface of the slider. The recording element is formed with an auxiliary magnetic pole, a coil, an insulator, a main magnetic pole, and a near-field light generating element in order from the slider substrate side. Here, the insulator has a shape in which the coil is raised at a place where the coil is present and is depressed with a predetermined curvature at a place where the coil is not present. When the main magnetic pole is formed on the insulator having such a shape, a curved main magnetic pole is formed. Further, the near-field light generating element is formed on the curved main magnetic pole. In addition, an optical coupling unit that couples a light beam from the waveguide to the near-field light generating element is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element. Therefore, only the near-field light generated from the near-field light generating element can be brought close to the recording magnetic field generated from the main magnetic pole.

  When recording is performed here, the light beam propagates toward the disk side in an optical waveguide provided on the near-field light generating element. An optical coupling portion for coupling with the near-field light generating element is provided in the optical waveguide on the slider tip side.

  Therefore, the light beam is coupled with the near-field light generating element at the optical coupling unit, and near-field light is generated at the tip of the near-field light generating element.

  Then, the magnetic recording medium is locally heated by the near-field light, and the coercive force temporarily decreases. In particular, by bending the near-field light generating element together with the main pole, near-field light can be generated in the vicinity of the main pole, and the coercive force of the magnetic recording medium can be reduced as close as possible to the main pole. . Further, by converting the light energy by the light flux into plasmon excitation energy, the light energy is not irradiated onto the magnetic recording medium. For this reason, only a minute region corresponding to the size of the near-field light in the magnetic recording medium is heated, and the density of information written to the magnetic recording medium can be improved.

  Further, the tip of the near-field light generating element is provided to be separated from the optical coupling portion by a certain distance. For this reason, the magnetic recording medium can be locally heated only by near-field light without transmitting light energy from the light flux to the magnetic recording medium. Therefore, writing reliability can be improved.

  Further, by providing the near-field light generating element along the main magnetic pole, it is possible to reliably put the region where the near-field light is heated within the range in which the recording magnetic field acts. Therefore, recording can be performed more reliably.

  The near-field light generating element is formed on the curved main pole. With such a structure, the manufacturing process of the recording element is reduced, and the working time and cost can be reduced in mass production.

  The light supply unit according to the present invention may be provided on a surface of the slider opposite to the surface on the magnetic recording medium side, and may include a light source that emits a light beam. According to this, compared with the configuration in which the light beam is guided from the outside of the suspension, the number of components such as fibers can be reduced, and the cost can be expected to be reduced. Further, the number of optical alignment points between the light source and the optical coupling portion is reduced, and the optical coupling efficiency is high. At the same time, the assembly process is reduced, so that it can be manufactured simply. Further, since there is no fiber or the like, it is difficult to adversely affect the flying of the head, the flying stability is high, and the writing reliability is high.

  The light source according to the present invention may be provided on a side of the optical coupling unit. According to this, since the light beam is emitted from the laser light source and can be directly incident on the optical coupling portion, the number of components is reduced, and it can be manufactured at low cost. Further, regarding the optical alignment, since only the alignment of the emission point of the laser light source and the optical coupling portion of the near-field light generating element is achieved, the light beam propagation loss due to the alignment is reduced. At the same time, since the assembly process is reduced, it can be simply manufactured, and cost reduction is expected.

  Further, the light supply unit may include a lens for condensing the light beam toward the optical coupling unit on the optical axis of the light beam. According to this, the light beam can be propagated to the optical coupling unit by the free propagation of the light beam and the condenser lens. Since the transparent medium and the condensing lens may be made of materials having different refractive indexes, the transparent medium and the condenser lens can be manufactured using a photolithography technique, and are suitable for mass production.

  As described above, according to the recording head of the present invention, near-field light can be generated in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole, and writing reliability can be improved. In addition, since the manufacturing process is reduced, the working time can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  According to the magnetic head of the present invention, local near-field light can be brought close to the curved main magnetic pole, and writing reliability can be improved by preventing a wide range of heating. Further, by simplifying the manufacturing process, the processing cost and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

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 a cross-sectional view in which a side surface on the outflow end side of the recording head shown in FIG. 2 is enlarged, and is a view simultaneously showing near-field light generated from a near-field light generating element. FIG. 5 is a view of the core of the spot size converter shown in FIG. 4 as seen through the reproducing element and the clad from the direction of arrow A. It is the figure which looked at the spot size converter and the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 4 from the end face side. It is the figure which expanded sectional drawing of the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd structural example of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the core of the spot size converter shown in FIG. 8 from the arrow A direction through the reproducing element and the clad. It is the figure which looked at the spot size converter and near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 8 from the end face side. It is the figure which expanded sectional drawing of the near-field light generating element shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 3rd structural example of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the core of the spot size converter shown in FIG. 12 through the reproducing element and the clad from the direction of arrow A. It is the figure which looked at the spot size converter and near-field light generating element shown in FIG. 12 from the end surface side. It is a figure which shows the 4th structural example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 5th structural example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 6th structural example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 7th structural example of FIG.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of a recording head and an information recording / reproducing apparatus 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 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 includes a recording head 2 having a curved near-field light generating element 50, which will be described later, and an XY direction parallel to a disk surface (surface of a magnetic recording medium) D1. A suspension 3 that supports the recording head 2 on the tip side in a state of being rotatable about two axes (X axis, Y axis) that are parallel to the disk surface D1 and orthogonal to each other, and an optical waveguide (light beam) Introducing means) An optical signal controller 5 for making the light beam L incident on the optical waveguide 4 from the base end side of the support 4 and the base end side of the suspension 3 and supporting the suspension 3 in the XY directions parallel to the disk surface D1 Of the actuator 6 for scanning toward the head, a spindle motor (rotation drive unit) 7 for rotating the disk D in a certain direction, a recording element 21 and an optical signal controller 5 described later. A control unit 8 for controlling, 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 suspension 3 is attached to the tip of the carriage 11. The carriage 11 and the suspension 3 are both movable in the XY directions by driving the actuator 6.

  The carriage 11 and the suspension 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 suspension 3 constitute a head gimbal assembly 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 near-field light R generated by optically coupling the light beam L and the near-field light generating element 50 and applies a perpendicular recording magnetic field to the disk D. This causes magnetization reversal and records information.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recording head 2 is disposed so as to face the disk D in a state where it floats by 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 recording 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 spot size converter 22 fixed adjacent to the recording element 21, and the spot size converter An optical waveguide 4 for introducing a light beam L from the optical signal controller 5 is provided in a core 40 described later. Further, the recording head 2 of the present embodiment includes a reproducing element 23 fixed adjacent to the spot size converter 22.

  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 suspension 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 two axes (X axis and Y axis) that are parallel to the disk surface D1 and orthogonal to each other. 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.

  On the opposing surface 20 a of the slider 20, a ridge portion 20 b is formed that generates pressure for rising 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 the surface called ABS (Air Bearing Surface).

  The slider 20 receives a force that rises from the disk surface D1 by the two ridges 20b. The suspension 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 suspension 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 along with the rotation of the disk D flows from the inflow end side of the slider 20 (the base end side of the suspension 3), then flows along the ABS, and flows out of the slider 20 at the outflow end side (the tip of the suspension 3). Side).

  FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the recording head 2. The recording head 2 includes an optical waveguide 4, a slider 20, a recording element 21 in contact with the slider 20, a spot size converter 22, and a reproducing element 23 adjacent to the spot size converter 22.

  The optical waveguide 4 includes a core 4a and a clad 4b. By using a material having a lower refractive index than that of the core 4a for the clad 4b, the light beam L can be confined in the core 4a. The optical waveguide 4 having such a structure is installed in parallel with the slider 20.

  The recording element 21 is installed so as to be sandwiched between the spot size converter 22 and the slider 20. The recording element 21 includes a curved main magnetic pole 32, an auxiliary magnetic pole 30 perpendicular to the disk D surface, a magnetic circuit 31, a coil 33, and a near-field light generating element 50. The auxiliary magnetic pole 30 is arranged so as to be in contact with the slider 20 at the end face, and from the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 toward the spot size converter 22, the magnetic circuit 31, a coil 33 wound spirally around the magnetic circuit 31, The main magnetic poles 32 are arranged in this order. The auxiliary magnetic pole 30, the main magnetic pole 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 coils 33 are arranged so that there is a gap between the adjacent coils 33, the magnetic circuit 31, and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 and the main magnetic pole 32 so as not to be short-circuited. 34 is molded. The insulator 34 is formed so as to cover the coil 33. At this time, the insulator 34 swells on the coil 33, and a portion without the coil 33 falls with a certain curvature. The main magnetic pole 32 is curved along the insulator 34 thus formed. Further, a magnetic shield layer 35 is formed thereon, and a near-field light generating element 50 is formed along the magnetic shield layer 35 from the apex of the curved magnetic shield layer to the disk D side where writing is performed. The tip exposed portion 50 a of the near-field light generating element 50 is a portion where the near-field light generating element 50 is slightly exposed to the disk D side, and is disposed so as to be close to the main magnetic pole 32 through the magnetic shield layer 35. . The surface where the recording element 21 is in contact with the spot size converter 22 is an optical coupling in which the clad 41 and the near-field light generating element 50 installed on the magnetic shield layer 35 are in contact with or close to the spot size converter 22. It is comprised from the part 50c.

  The optical coupling unit 50c converts light energy generated by the light beam into only plasmon excitation energy using a light beam that has reached the tip of the light beam condensing unit 40b, which will be described later, on the disk D side. The near-field light generating element 50 is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole 32, and generates near-field light using the converted plasmon excitation energy, and has a curved shape. .

  The near-field light generating element 50 according to the present embodiment is in contact with the spot size converter 22 by a predetermined area from the apex of the curved near-field light generating element 50 to the disk D in the optical coupling unit 50c to form a plane. ing. The clad 41 disposed on the spot size converter 22 side of the optical coupling unit 50c and the recording element 21 is designed to be flush with each other.

  The magnetic circuit 31 and the coil 33 constitute an electromagnet as a whole. Note that the tip exposed portion 50 a, the main magnetic pole 32, and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 of the near-field light generating element 50 are designed so that the end surfaces facing the disk D are flush with the ridge portion 20 b of the slider 20.

  The spot size converter 22 includes a clad 41 and a polyhedral core 40. The spot size converter 22 can capture the light beam L in the core 40 because the refractive index of the core 40 is higher than that of the clad 41. The core 40 narrows the light beam L toward the disk D. In this embodiment, the core 40 includes a reflecting surface 40a that reflects the light beam L by 90 degrees and a light beam condensing unit 40b that gradually reduces the spot diameter of the light beam L.

  One side surface of the light beam condensing unit 40b is disposed so as to contact the clad 41 of the recording element 21 and the optical coupling unit 50c of the near-field light generating element 50 in a plane. The disk D side tip of the light beam condensing part 40b is in contact with the optical coupling part 50c of the near-field light generating element 50 on the side surface on the recording element 21 side. Further, the light beam L propagated from the core 4a of the optical waveguide is arranged so that it can be reflected by a reflection surface 40a (to be described later) of the spot size converter 22. The end face on the disk D side covered with the clad 41 is designed to be flush with the disk D side end faces of the recording element 21 and the slider 20.

  FIG. 5 is a view of the light beam condensing unit 40b of the spot size converter 22 as seen through the reproducing element 23 and the clad 41 from the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. The light beam condensing unit 40 b of the spot size converter 22 is formed so as to have three side surfaces, and one of the side surfaces is disposed so as to face the recording element 21. Further, the positional relationship between the spot size converter 22 and the core 4a 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. The cross-sectional shape of the light beam condensing part 40b is a triangular shape having three sides, and the cross-sectional area decreases toward the disc D side. It should be noted that the core 40 is in contact with the optical coupling portion 50c of the near-field light generating element 50 exposed at a predetermined area at the tip of the core 40 on the disk D side.

  FIG. 6 is a view of the core 40 and the near-field light generating element 50 of the spot size converter 22 as viewed from the disk D side. The tip of the core 40 has a triangular shape, and is in contact with the end face 50c of the near-field light generating element 50 at one side on the recording element 21 side. Since the near-field light generating element 50 is curved along the main magnetic pole 32, when viewed from the disk D side, two sides that are not in contact with the core 40 are formed to be curved inward. The tip of the core 40 and the near-field light generating element 50 are covered with the clad 41, but only the tip exposed portion 50a of the near-field light generating element 50 is exposed to the disk D side.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the tip portion of the near-field light generating element 50 shown in FIG. A main magnetic pole 32, a magnetic shield 35, a near-field light generating element 50, and a clad 41 are formed in this order from the slider 20 side. The tip exposed portion 50a, which is the portion exposed to the disk D side of the near-field light generating element 50, has a sharp corner formed on the main magnetic pole 32 side.

  Next, a case where various types of information are recorded on and reproduced from the disk D by the recording head 2 configured as described above will be described below.

  In the present embodiment, when information is recorded, information is recorded by a heat-assisted magnetic recording method in which a local near-field light R and a recording magnetic field are combined.

  First, the generation principle of the local near-field light R will be described. 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 toward the front end side in the core 4a of the optical waveguide 4, is reflected by the reflecting surface 40a of the spot size converter 22, and changes its direction by 90 degrees. That is, the direction of the light beam L changes in a direction different from the introduction direction. Then, the light beam L whose direction has been changed propagates through 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 gradually decreases as it approaches the disk D. Therefore, when the light beam L passes through the light beam condensing part 40b, it is gradually condensed while being reflected on the side surface, and propagates through the core 40. In particular, since the clad 41 is in close contact with the side surface of the core 40, light does not leak outside the core 40. Therefore, the introduced light beam L can be propagated to the other end side without being wasted without being wasted.

  Therefore, the light beam L is narrowed down when it reaches the other end side of the light beam condensing part 40b, 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 of about 1 μm whose diameter is equivalent to the maximum linear length L1.

  In the optical coupling portion 50 c of the near-field light generating element 50, the narrowed light beam L contacts the near-field light generating element 50 as shown in FIG. Propagation from the optical coupling portion 50c to the tip exposed portion 50a on the disk D side of the near-field light generating element 50 results in vibration of electrons on the metal surface, and the size of the light spot reaching the disk D is determined by the near-field light generating element 50. It becomes smaller according to the width of. As shown in FIG. 6, the width of the near-field light generating element 50 is minimum at the tip exposed portion 50a, and the tip exposed portion 50a generates local near-field light R. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the near-field light generating element 50 has a sharp corner portion on the slider 20 side in the tip exposed portion 50a. A sharp corner is considered to be capable of generating strong near-field light R, and strong near-field light R can be generated at a position close to the main magnetic pole 32.

  The disk D is heated by the near-field light R, and the coercive force temporarily decreases. In particular, by bending the near-field light generating element 50 along the main magnetic pole 32, the near-field light R can be generated in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole 32, and the coercive force of the disk D is reduced as close as possible to the main magnetic pole 32. Can do.

  Meanwhile, generation of a magnetic field will be described. When a current is supplied to the coil 33 by the control unit 8, a current magnetic field generates a magnetic field in the magnetic circuit 31 by the principle of an electromagnet, and therefore, a direction perpendicular to the disk D between the main magnetic pole 32 and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30. The recording magnetic field can be generated. Then, the magnetic flux generated from the main pole 32 side passes straight through the perpendicular recording layer of the disk D and reverses the magnetization of the perpendicular recording layer, but does not affect the magnetization direction when returning to the auxiliary pole 30. This is because the area of the auxiliary magnetic pole 30 facing the disk D surface is larger than that of the main magnetic pole 32, so that a 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 heat-assisted magnetic recording method in which the near-field light R and the recording magnetic fields generated by the magnetic poles 30 and 32 cooperate. Further, by using the light beam reaching the tip portion on the disk D side of the light beam condensing part 40b, the light energy by the light beam is converted into only the plasmon excitation energy, so that the disk D is not irradiated with the light energy. For this reason, only a minute region corresponding to the size of the near-field light in the disk D is heated, and the density of information written to the disk D can be improved. In addition, 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 particular, by bending both the main magnetic pole 32 and the near-field light generating element 50, the coercive force of the disk D can be reduced in the vicinity thereof, and the peak position of the heating temperature is set at a position where the recording magnetic field acts locally. Can be put. Further, in this embodiment, the near-field light R localized on the metal surface is separated by a certain distance from the light flux L that is the propagating light, thereby avoiding heating of a wide area by the propagating light, and by the near-field light R. Only local areas can be heated. Accordingly, recording can be performed reliably, reliability can be improved, and high density recording can be achieved.

  Next, when reproducing information recorded on the disk D, the reproducing element 23 fixed adjacent to the spot size converter 22 receives a magnetic field leaking from the perpendicular recording layer of the disk D. The electric resistance changes depending on the size. Therefore, the voltage of the reproducing element 23 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.

  Note that when the near-field light generating element 50 is directly irradiated with the light beam without converting the light energy from the light beam into plasmon excitation energy, the scattered light scattered by the near-field light generating element 50 is irradiated onto the disk D. It will be. When the scattered light gives heat to the disk D, even if the spot diameter is localized by the folding angle or near-field light, the entire spot diameter is increased by the scattered light. However, in the present invention, since the light energy by the light flux is once converted into only the plasmon excitation energy, the scattered light is not irradiated onto the disk D, and the spot diameter is only localized by the near-field light. It can be carried out. On the other hand, the near-field light generating element 50 is curved along the main magnetic pole 32 in order to bring the tip portion on the disk D side of the near-field light generating element 50 close to the main magnetic pole 32. As a result, the distance from the front end portion on the disk D side of the light beam condensing portion 40b to the front end portion on the disk D side of the near-field light generating element 50 is increased, and it appears that the intensity of the near-field light is reduced. However, since it is propagated by the plasmon excitation energy between the tip part of the light beam condensing part 40b and the tip part of the near-field light generating element 50, the intensity of the near-field light can be prevented from being reduced. . Further, the optical waveguide is bent because the optical energy of the light beam is converted into plasmon excitation energy using the near-field light generating element 50 and the optical coupling unit 50c without bending the optical waveguide along the main magnetic pole 32. It is possible to prevent the energy loss from increasing compared to the configuration. As described above, according to the present invention, in the configuration in which the near-field light generating element 50 is provided next to the curved main magnetic pole 32, the spot diameter can be reliably localized and the intensity of the near-field light. Can be prevented from being reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the main magnetic pole 32 and the near-field light generating element 50 have a curved shape, but they only have to be inclined obliquely with respect to the surface of the slider 20 on the disk D side. Of course, it may be formed diagonally and linearly.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the shape of the near-field light generating element and the position of the light coupling unit that performs coupling from the spot size converter to the near-field light generating element are different.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the second embodiment. The near-field light generating element 60 formed on the curved main magnetic pole 32 via the magnetic shield layer 35 is connected to the end surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the spot size converter 22 via the optical coupling portion 60c. The near-field light generating element 60 is designed so that its cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the disk D. In the present embodiment, the near-field light generating element 60 is formed so as to gradually decrease not only in the width direction but also in the height direction toward the disk D.

  FIG. 9 is a view of the light beam condensing unit 40b of the spot size converter 22 as seen through the reproducing element and the clad from the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. The near-field light generating element 50 is connected to the disk D side end surface of the core 40 of the spot size converter 22 through the optical coupling portion 60c.

  FIG. 10 is a view of the core 40 and the near-field light generating element section 60 of the spot size converter 22 as viewed from the disk D side. The tip surface 40c of the core 40 has a triangular shape, and the optical coupling portion 60c of the near-field light generating element portion 60 is formed in a semicircular shape so as to cover the triangular shape of the tip surface 40c. The tip surface 40c of the core 40 and the near-field light generating element portion 60 are covered with the clad 41, but only the tip exposed portion 60a of the near-field light generating element 60 is exposed to the disk D side.

  FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the tip portion of the near-field light generating element 60 shown in FIG. A tip exposed portion 60a, which is a portion exposed to the disk D side of the near-field light generating element 60, has a corner portion 60b sharper and sharper on the main magnetic pole 32 side than the upper clad 41 side.

  An operation principle by which the near-field light generating element 60 generates the near-field light R will be described. The light beam L introduced into the optical waveguide 4 is changed in direction by 90 degrees on the reflecting surface 40a, propagates in the light beam condensing unit 40b, and reaches about 1 μm when reaching the other end side of the light beam condensing unit 40b. Narrow down to a smaller size. Thereafter, the narrowed light beam L is irradiated perpendicularly to the optical coupling portion 60 c which is the end surface of the near-field light generating element 60. The optical coupling portion 60c is provided so as to be slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the narrowed light beam L, and can prevent the light beam L from leaking to the disk D side. The irradiated light beam L is converted into surface plasmons in the optical coupling unit 60c. Since the near-field light generating element 60 is designed so that the cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the disk D, the surface plasmon increases in strength toward the tip, and the strength of the surface plasmon is maximized at the tip exposed portion 60a. Become. Further, the surface plasmon is further enhanced at the sharply sharp corner 60b of the exposed end 60a on the main magnetic pole 32 side, and a strong near-field light R can be generated in the vicinity of the main magnetic pole 32.

  According to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be realized. In the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the coupling efficiency by vertically applying the light beam to the optical coupling portion of the near-field light generating element, and to avoid the disk heating due to the light beam that could not be converted into the surface plasmon. A surface plasmon enhancement effect is obtained by gradually reducing the cross-sectional area of the near-field light generating element toward the disk, and the disk can be locally heated with less energy.

(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same portions as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that it has a mirror surface that reflects the direction of the light beam propagating parallel to the slider by 90 degrees, and the shape of the near-field light generating element and the near-field light. This is in that the position of the optical coupling portion for coupling to the generating element is different.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the third embodiment. The near-field light generating element 70 is smoothly provided along the magnetic shield layer 35 on the curved main magnetic pole 32 from the upper part to the lower part of the recording element 21. The near-field light generating element 70 is designed so that its cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the disk D. The mirror surface 80 is installed so as to have an inclination of 45 degrees with respect to the optical waveguide 4 installed in parallel to the slider 20.

  FIG. 13 is a view of the mirror surface 80 as seen through the reproducing element 23 and the clad 41 from the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. The mirror surface 80 is installed so that the center of the core 4a of the optical waveguide 4 and the center of the circular mirror surface 80 coincide. The near-field light generating element 70 is designed so that its width decreases toward the disk D.

  FIG. 14 is a view of the near-field light generating element 70, the optical coupling portion 70c, and the mirror surface 80 as viewed from the disk D side. The optical coupling portion 70 c is larger by a predetermined area than the circular mirror surface 80, and is formed in a semicircular shape so as to cover the mirror surface 80. Here, the insulator 34 covering the spiral coil 33 rises in a portion where the coil 33 is present and falls in a portion where the coil 33 is absent. Therefore, two convex portions are formed on the end surface. The near-field light generating element 70 is formed on the magnetic shield layer 35 having such two convex portions. The near-field light generating element 70 is designed so that its cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the disk D side, and only the tip exposed portion 70a is exposed to the disk D side.

  An operation principle by which the near-field light generating element 70 generates the near-field light R will be described. The light beam L incident from the optical waveguide 4 propagates in the core 4 a and can be changed in direction by 90 degrees at the mirror surface 80. Immediately thereafter, the light beam L whose direction has been changed irradiates the light coupling portion 70c of the near-field light generating element 70 vertically. The optical coupling portion 70c is provided so as to be slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the light beam L, and can prevent the light beam L from leaking to the disk D side. The irradiated light beam L is converted into surface plasmons in the optical coupling unit 70c. Since the near-field light generating element 70 is designed so that the cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the disk D, the surface plasmon increases in strength toward the tip, and the strength of the surface plasmon is maximized at the tip exposed portion 70a. Become. Here, since the near-field light generating element 70 is smoothly formed on the magnetic shield layer 35, there is no corner, and the surface plasmon is not maximized at a point other than the tip exposed part 70a. Therefore, enhanced near-field light R is generated only at the tip exposed portion 70a.

  Also according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be realized. In the configuration of this embodiment, since there is no spot size converter, the loss caused by the light beam propagating through the spot size converter is eliminated, and further, the optical coupling unit and the near-field light generation point are greatly separated, The disk can be heated only by near-field light. In addition, since the near-field light generating element is provided along the magnetic shield layer formed on the main magnetic pole, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the cost for the spot size converter can be reduced.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same portions as those in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment in that a light source is provided on the upper portion of the slider.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the fourth embodiment. A rectangular parallelepiped laser support substrate 101 is fixed to the upper portion of the slider 20 via an adhesive layer 102. There is no particular limitation on the dimensions. A laser light source 100 is provided on an end surface of the laser support substrate 101 via an adhesive layer 102. The material of the laser support substrate 101 is not particularly limited as long as rigidity is ensured, but Altic (Al ₂ O ₃ —TiC) or the like may be used. The adhesive layer 102 is not particularly limited as long as the laser support substrate 101 and the slider 20 can be fixed, but a UV curable adhesive liquid or soldering may be used. The size of the laser light source 100 is arbitrary. For example, a typical size usually used is about 250 μm wide × 350 μm long (depth) × 65 μm thick, and the laser light source 100 having such dimensions can be mounted. The laser light source 100 is not particularly limited as long as it is a light source, but may be another light emitting element such as a laser diode or an LED.

  The operation principle of this embodiment will be described. The light beam L emitted from the laser light source 100 adjacent to the slider 20 enters the end face of the core 40 of the spot size converter 22. Specifically, after alignment is performed so that the peak value of the light beam L is arranged at the center position of the core 40, the laser support substrate 101 to which the laser light source 100 is connected is preferably fixed to the upper portion of the slider 20. The propagation distance of the light beam L from the laser emission point 110 to the core 40 is preferably eliminated or shortened as much as possible. This distance can be controlled by the thickness of the adhesive layer 102. Further, oil or the like having a refractive index equivalent to that of the core 40 may be interposed within this distance. After the light beam L is incident on the core 40, the near-field light R is generated based on the same principle as in the first to third embodiments.

  According to the present embodiment, compared to a configuration in which a light beam is guided from the outside of the suspension, the number of components such as a fiber is reduced, and it can be expected that the cost is reduced. Further, the number of optical alignment points between the light source and the optical coupling portion is reduced, and the optical coupling efficiency is high. At the same time, the assembly process is reduced, so that it can be manufactured simply. Further, since there is no fiber or the like, it is difficult to adversely affect the flying of the head, and the flying stability is high.

(Fifth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the first to fourth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment in that a light beam emitted from a light source is incident on an optical coupling unit via a condenser lens installed in a transparent medium. .

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the fifth embodiment. A rectangular parallelepiped laser support substrate 101 is fixed to the upper portion of the slider 20 via an adhesive layer 102. There is no particular limitation on the dimensions. A laser light source 100 is provided on an end surface of the laser support substrate 101 via an adhesive layer 102. In the laser light source 100, the upper plane of the laser light source 100 has an inclination θ with respect to the upper plane of the slider 20 so that the light beam L can be incident on the plane of the optical coupling portion 50c at a predetermined angle. Installed. The inclination θ can be determined by the coupling efficiency of the light beam L and the optical coupling unit 50c, and may be an angle that can ensure the coupling efficiency when the near-field light R sufficient to heat the disk D is generated. Here, the laser light source 100 does not need to be installed with an inclination θ with respect to the slider upper plane as shown in the figure, and the emitted light beam L has an inclination θ with respect to the slider upper plane. That's fine. Next, the condensing lens 120 is installed in the transparent medium 130 on the same optical axis from the emission point 110 to the optical coupling unit 50c. The condensing lens has an appropriate curvature and may be determined so that the spot size of the light beam L is minimized in the coupling portion. Here, the transparent medium 130 and the condensing lens 120 may be made of materials having different refractive indexes. For example, SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ or the like may be used.

  The operation principle of this embodiment will be described. The light beam L emitted from the laser light source 100 propagates freely in the transparent medium 130 and is condensed from the emission point by the condenser lens 120 installed at an intermediate point of the optical coupling unit 50c. The light beam L is condensed so that the spot size of the light beam L is minimized when it reaches the optical coupling unit 50c. Thereafter, near-field light R is generated based on the same principle as in the first to fourth embodiments.

  According to this embodiment, the light beam can be propagated to the optical coupling unit by the free propagation of the light beam and the condenser lens. Since the transparent medium and the condensing lens may be made of materials having different refractive indexes, the transparent medium and the condenser lens can be manufactured using a photolithography technique, and are suitable for mass production.

(Sixth embodiment)
A sixth embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The same portions as those in the first to fifth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment to the fifth embodiment in that the light beam emitted from the light source is incident on the optical coupling unit via a condensing lens formed on the surface of the transparent medium. is there.

  FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the sixth embodiment. A rectangular parallelepiped laser support substrate 101 is fixed to the upper portion of the slider 20 via an adhesive layer 102. A laser light source 100 is provided on an end surface of the laser support substrate 101 via an adhesive layer 102. As in the fifth embodiment, the laser light source 100 is installed with a certain inclination θ with respect to the slider upper plane. The condenser lens 120 is formed with a curvature above the transparent medium 130. The curvature may be determined so that the spot size of the light beam L is minimized in the coupling portion.

  The operation principle of this embodiment will be described. The light beam L emitted from the laser light source 100 is collected by the condensing lens 120 formed on the incident side interface of the light beam L of the transparent medium 130 and propagates through the transparent medium 130. The light beam L is condensed so that the spot size of the light beam L is minimized when it reaches the optical coupling unit 50c. Thereafter, near-field light R is generated based on the same principle as in the first to fifth embodiments.

  According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to make a condensing lens using different refractive indexes, and it can be easily produced by a process.

(Seventh embodiment)
A seventh embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the first to sixth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The present embodiment is different from the first to fifth embodiments in that the light beam emitted from the light source is directly incident on the optical coupling unit.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head 2 according to the seventh embodiment. A reproducing element 23 is provided on the left end face of the slider 20 in the drawing, and the auxiliary magnetic pole 30, the insulator 34, the coil 33, the main magnetic pole 32, the magnetic shield layer 35, the near-field light generating element 50, and the cladding 41 are provided toward the left in the drawing. Arranged in this order. A rectangular parallelepiped laser support substrate 101 is fixed to the upper portion of the slider 20 via an adhesive layer 102. A laser support structure 103 is provided on the end surface of the laser support substrate 101. The laser support structure 103 has a rectangular cross section, one end is connected to the slider end surface, and the other end side is disposed along the left end surface of the recording element 21 in the figure, and has an L-shaped structure. However, the cross-sectional shape and structure are not particularly limited as long as the other end of the laser support structure 103 can be disposed on the left end surface of the recording element 21 in the drawing. The material of the laser support structure 103 is not particularly limited, but Altic (Al ₂ O ₃ —TiC) or the like may be used. A laser light source 100 is provided at the other end of the laser support structure 103. The laser light source 100 is fixed so as to contact the left end surface of the recording element 21 in the drawing. At this time, the emission point 110 of the laser light source 100 and the optical coupling unit 50c are installed as close as possible. Further, it is ideal to use the laser light source 100 as thin as possible, and it is desirable that the laser light source 100 has a width of 250 μm × length (depth) of 350 μm × thickness of 20 μm.

  The operation principle of this embodiment will be described. A light beam L is emitted from a laser light source 100 fixed to the left end face of the recording element 21 in the drawing, and irradiates the optical coupling portion 50c. Thereafter, near-field light R is generated based on the same principle as in the first to sixth embodiments.

  According to this embodiment, since the light beam is emitted from the laser light source and can be directly incident on the optical coupling portion, the number of components is reduced, and it can be manufactured at low cost. Further, regarding the optical alignment, since only the alignment of the emission point of the laser light source and the optical coupling portion of the near-field light generating element is achieved, the light beam propagation loss due to the alignment is reduced. At the same time, since the assembly process is reduced, it can be simply manufactured, and cost reduction is expected.

  It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes those in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In other words, the configuration described in the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and can be changed as appropriate. Moreover, it is also possible to employ | adopt combining each embodiment mentioned above suitably.

D disk (magnetic recording medium)
L Luminous flux R Near-field light θ Inclination 1 Information recording / reproducing apparatus 2 Recording head 3 Suspension 4 Optical waveguide 5 Optical signal controller 6 Actuator 7 Spindle motor (rotation drive unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 Control part 9 Housing 10 Bearing 11 Carriage 12 Head gimbal assembly 20 Slider 21 Recording element 22 Spot size converter 23 Reproduction element 24 Gimbal part 30 Auxiliary magnetic pole 31 Magnetic circuit 32 Main magnetic pole 33 Coil 34 Insulator 35 Magnetic shield layer 40 Core 40a Reflective surface 40b Light flux condensing part 40c End face 41 of core 40 Clad 50, 60, 70 Near-field light generating elements 50a, 60a, 70a End exposed parts 50c, 60c, 70c Optical coupling part 60b Main magnetic pole side corner part 80 Mirror Surface 100 Laser light source 101 Laser support substrate 102 Adhesive layer 103 Laser support structure 110 Laser emission point 120 Condensing lens 130 Transparent medium

Claims (11)

A recording head for recording information by heating a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and causing a magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A main magnetic pole that is provided on the slider and generates the recording magnetic field, and is inclined with respect to a surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side;
A light supply unit that is provided in the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate the near-field light;
An optical coupling unit that converts light energy by the luminous flux into plasmon excitation energy;
The near-field light is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole and generates the near-field light using the plasmon excitation energy, and is tilted with respect to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side. A light generating element,
The optical coupling unit is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element,
The surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the near-field light generating element and the optical coupling portion are provided apart from each other ,
The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the light supply unit includes an optical bending structure that bends the light beam toward the magnetic recording medium . The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the light supply unit includes an optical waveguide . The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the light supply unit includes a spot size converter that narrows a spot size of the light beam toward the magnetic recording medium . The light supply unit is
4. The recording head according to claim 1 , further comprising: a light source that is provided on a surface opposite to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side and that emits the light beam . 5. A recording head for recording information by heating a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and causing a magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A main magnetic pole that is provided on the slider and generates the recording magnetic field, and is inclined with respect to a surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side;
A light supply unit that is provided in the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate the near-field light;
An optical coupling unit that converts light energy by the luminous flux into plasmon excitation energy;
The near-field light is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole and generates the near-field light using the plasmon excitation energy, and is tilted with respect to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side. A light generating element,
The optical coupling unit is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element,
The surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the near-field light generating element and the optical coupling portion are provided apart from each other,
The light supply unit is provided on a surface of the slider opposite to the surface on the magnetic recording medium side, and includes a light source that emits the light flux.
The recording head according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is provided on a side of the optical coupling unit . A recording head for recording information by heating a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and causing a magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A main magnetic pole that is provided on the slider and generates the recording magnetic field, and is inclined with respect to a surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side;
A light supply unit that is provided in the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate the near-field light;
An optical coupling unit that converts light energy by the luminous flux into plasmon excitation energy;
The near-field light is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole and generates the near-field light using the plasmon excitation energy, and is tilted with respect to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side. A light generating element,
The optical coupling unit is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element,
The surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the near-field light generating element and the optical coupling portion are provided apart from each other,
The recording head , wherein the light supply unit includes a lens that focuses the light beam toward the optical coupling unit on an optical axis of the light beam . A recording head for recording information by heating a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and causing a magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A main magnetic pole that is provided on the slider and generates the recording magnetic field, and is inclined with respect to a surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side;
A light supply unit that is provided in the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate the near-field light;
An optical coupling unit that converts light energy by the luminous flux into plasmon excitation energy;
The near-field light is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole and generates the near-field light using the plasmon excitation energy, and is tilted with respect to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side. A light generating element,
The optical coupling unit is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element,
The surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the near-field light generating element and the optical coupling portion are provided apart from each other,
The recording head , wherein the optical coupling unit is provided perpendicular to a propagation direction of the light beam . 8. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the near-field light generating element is formed so that a cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the magnetic recording medium . The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the near-field light generating element is formed to be inclined along the inclined main magnetic pole . A recording head for recording information by heating a magnetic recording medium rotating in a certain direction by near-field light and causing a magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium,
A slider disposed opposite to the surface of the magnetic recording medium;
A main magnetic pole that is provided on the slider and generates the recording magnetic field, and is inclined with respect to a surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side;
A light supply unit that is provided in the slider and supplies a light beam used to generate the near-field light;
An optical coupling unit that converts light energy by the luminous flux into plasmon excitation energy;
The near-field light is disposed on the side of the main magnetic pole and generates the near-field light using the plasmon excitation energy, and is tilted with respect to the surface of the slider on the magnetic recording medium side. A light generating element,
The optical coupling unit is provided in a part of the near-field light generating element,
The surface on the magnetic recording medium side of the near-field light generating element and the optical coupling portion are provided apart from each other,
The near-field light generating element is formed to be inclined along the inclined main magnetic pole ,
2. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the near-field light generating element is curved along the curved main magnetic pole . An information recording / reproducing apparatus comprising the recording head according to claim 1 and the recording medium .

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