Patent ID: 7145750

Claim:
A perpendicular recording and/or reproducing magnetic head comprising: a write element; a read element; and an air bearing surface for opposing the write element and the read element to a magnetic recording medium, the read element having a pair of magnetic shields composed of upper and lower shields, a magneto-resistive effect film disposed between the pair of magnetic shields, and a pair of electrodes for applying a current to the magneto-resistive effect film, the write element having a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole magnetically coupled to the first magnetic pole, a coil for exciting the first magnetic pole, a third magnetic pole provided on a leading side of the first magnetic pole at least on the air bearing surface, the third magnetic pole being separated from the first and second magnetic poles by a non-magnetic layer, wherein a distance between the first magnetic pole and the third magnetic pole is in the range of 40 nm to 200 nm.