Patent ID: 8817581

Claim:
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that has an air bearing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium and that performs magnetic recording while heating the magnetic recording medium by using near-field light, comprising: a waveguide through which incident light propagates toward the air bearing surface; a main magnetic pole of which one end part is positioned at the air bearing surface; a plasmon generator that is positioned between the waveguide and the main magnetic pole, that is provided along the waveguide in a manner opposing the waveguide, and of which one end part is positioned at the air bearing surface, the plasmon generator including: a first configuration member that extends to the air bearing surface; and a second configuration member that is provided to be in contact with the first configuration member or is integrally provided with the first configuration member, and that is in contact with main magnetic pole, the second configuration member terminating at a position recessed from the air bearing surface without extending to the air bearing surface, wherein the first configuration member has a near-field light generation end surface at the one end part positioned at the air bearing surface, and the second configuration member terminating at a front end portion of a slope positioned at the position recessed from the air bearing surface; and a separator layer that is interposed between the main magnetic pole and the first configuration member of the plasmon generator, and that extends from a position recessed from the air bearing surface to the air bearing surface, an end part of the separator layer on a side opposite to the air bearing surface being at a position more recessed from the air bearing surface than the front end portion of the slope of the second configuration member.