Split-Pole Write Head for Thermally Assisted Magnetic Recording

A split-pole write head design for thermally assisted recording is presented. The split-pole design allows the heat source to be located anywhere along the down-track axis. The recording performance of the head is evaluated using micromagnetic simulations and compared to a conventional design. The effect of Curie temperature distributions in the recording medium is investigated and found to be particularly detrimental to recording performance under some circumstances.