Patent ID: 7589936

Claim:
A read/write head for writing data to and reading data from an adjacent magnetic storage disk, comprising: a read transducer; and a write transducer, including: a write pole with a pole tip; a write coil coiled around the write pole, the write coil having a center tap and two ends; a first conductor carrying current to and from one of the two ends of the write coil; a second conductor carrying current to and from the other of the two ends of the write coil; and a third conductor carrying current to and from the center tap of the write coil; and a drive circuit connected to the first, second and third conductors, the drive circuit configured to direct the currents carried by the first, second and third conductors through the write coil; wherein the currents directed through the write coil by the drive circuit dissipate power due to the resistance of the write coil and wherein the currents are directed through the write coil at times other than when data is being written to the storage disk in a manner to avoid erasing data during reading and to dissipate substantially the same or more power in the write coil as when data is being written to the storage disk while at the same time producing significantly less fringing field from the pole tip than is produced when data is being written to the storage disk.