Patent ID: 8873351

Claim:
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, comprising: a magnetic pole that generates a writing magnetic field from an end surface constituting a portion of a medium opposing surface that is opposed to a magnetic recording medium; a waveguide through which a light for exciting a surface plasmon propagates; and a plasmon-generator that generates near-field light (NF light) from a near-field light generating portion on a near field light generator end surface constituting a portion of the medium opposing surface by coupling with the light in a surface plasmon mode, wherein the plasmon-generator comprises a first PG part comprising the near field light generator end surface constituting a portion of the medium opposing surface, and a second PG part positioned at a back side relative to the medium opposing surface when viewed from the medium opposing surface side; when viewed from the medium opposing surface side, the first PG part extends toward the back side from the medium opposing surface; when viewed from the medium opposing surface side to allow a trailing side of the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head to be positioned upwardly, the second PG part is placed to contact at least a portion of both side surfaces of the first PG part; a material that substantially configures the first PG part is a material having high thermostability compared to a material that substantially configures the second PG part; and the material that substantially configures the second PG part is a material having high excitation efficiency of plasmon compared to the material that substantially configures the first PG part.