Patent ID: 8184506

Claim:
A near-field optical head which generates a near-field light from an introduced optical flux and thus heats a magnetic recording medium that undergoes rotation in a fixed direction and which applies a recording magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic recording medium to cause magnetization inversion and thus record information on the magnetic recording medium, the near-field optical head comprising: a slider configured to be arranged in a state in which a surface of the slider is disposed opposite to and confronts a surface of the magnetic recording medium, the slider having first and second inclined surfaces projecting from the surface of the slider toward the magnetic recording medium in an inclined manner with respect to an optical axis of the introduced optical flux in the state in which the surface of the slider confronts the surface of the magnetic recording medium, the first and second inclined surfaces being arranged adjacent to each other so as to share one side of the slider in common, the first inclined surface including at least portion of a distal end surface of the slider; a plurality of convex-shaped pressure generating portions formed on the surface of the slider that confronts the surface of the magnetic recording medium for generating pressure for floating the slider by making use of an air flow generated by rotation of the magnetic recording medium, each of the pressure generating portions having a height substantially equal to a height of the first inclined surface and a height of the second inclined surface; optical flux introducing means for introducing the optical flux into the slider and toward the surface of the slider confronting the surface of the magnetic recording medium; a recording element formed on the first inclined surface of the slider, the recording element comprising a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole stacked one over another with an insulation film interposed therebetween; a metal film formed on the other of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface of the slider, the metal film allowing the introduced optical flux to propagate along an interface between the metal film and the other of the first and second inclined surfaces and thereafter generating from the introduced optical flux near-field light which extends toward the surface of the magnetic recording medium; and magnetic field generating means for generating a recording magnetic field between the main magnetic pole and the auxiliary magnetic pole of the recording element.