Abstract:
There is provided a magnetic head for microwave assisted magnetic recording including: a recording main pole configured to generate a recording magnetic field during operation for writing information to a recording medium, a shield arranged to form a gap to the recording main pole, wherein the recording magnetic field from the recording main pole causes a gap magnetic field in the gap between the recording main pole and the shield, and a spin torque oscillator disposed in the gap between the recording main pole and the shield, the spin torque oscillator comprising a field generation layer configured to generate a high frequency magnetic field for reducing the coercivity of a target recording area of the recording medium. In particular, the spin torque oscillator is configured such that a predetermined crystallographic axis or crystal plane orientation of the field generation layer is substantially aligned with a direction of the gap magnetic field in the field generation layer during operation. There is also provided a corresponding method of fabricating such a magnetic head.