Patent ID: 8649124

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a return pole (RP) having a first RP magnetic layer, a second RP magnetic layer, and a RP non-magnetic layer, the RP non-magnetic layer separating and magnetically decoupling the RP first and second magnetic layers; and a shield having a first shield magnetic layer, a second shield magnetic layer, and a shield non-magnetic layer, the shield non-magnetic layer separating and magnetically decoupling the shield first and second magnetic layers, the shield first magnetic layer and the RP first magnetic layer forming a continuous piece of magnetic material that is interposed in between a bearing surface of the apparatus and the non-magnetic layers, wherein the first shield magnetic layer, the second shield magnetic layer and the shield non-magnetic layer are parallel to the bearing surface in a portion of the apparatus where the first shield magnetic layer is interposed between the bearing surface and the shield non-magnetic layer.