Patent ID: 8325567

Claim:
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head comprising: a magnetic pole for generating write field from its end on an opposed-to-medium surface side; a waveguide through which a light for exciting surface plasmon propagates; and a near-field light generator provided between the magnetic pole and the waveguide, configured to be coupled with the light in a surface plasmon mode and to emit near-field light from a near-field light generating end surface that forms a portion of the opposed-to-medium surface, the near-field light generator comprising a propagation edge extending to the near-field light generating end surface and being configured to propagate thereon the surface plasmon excited by the light, at least a portion of the propagation edge being opposed to the waveguide with a predetermined distance, and the magnetic pole having a direct surface contact with a surface portion of the near-field light generator that does not include the propagation edge.