Patent ID: 8705206

Claim:
A magnetic data storage system, comprising: a magnetic head adapted to record data according to a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) process, the magnetic head comprising: a main pole adapted to produce a writing magnetic field; a trailing shield positioned above a trailing side of the main pole, wherein a trailing gap is defined between the trailing shield and the main pole; and a spin torque oscillator (STO) positioned above a first trailing corner of the main pole at an STO-side of the main pole, wherein the trailing gap has a greater length in a film thickness direction near the STO-side of the main pole and a lesser length in the film thickness direction near a second trailing corner of the main pole opposite the first trailing corner in a track width direction of the main pole; a magnetic disk medium having an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion being closer to a center of the magnetic disk medium than the outer portion; a drive mechanism for passing the magnetic disk medium over the magnetic head; and a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head for controlling operation of the magnetic head, wherein the controller is configured to selectively position the main pole of the magnetic head to record data to shingled tracks of the magnetic disk medium using a portion of the main pole near the trailing side thereof closest to the STO-side of the main pole or a portion of the main pole near the trailing side thereof closest to a side opposite the STO-side of the main pole.