Writer having laterally decoupled pole sections

An apparatus, comprising:

• a writer, having:
• a first write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the first write pole;
• a second write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the second write pole;
• a nonmagnetic write gap between the pole tips of the write poles;
• and
• a high moment layer between the write gap and the pole tip of the second write pole,
• the high moment layer having a higher magnetic moment than a magnetic moment of the pole tip of the second write pole,
• the high moment layer being segmented into at least two portions by one or more decoupling spacers positioned between adjacent ones of the portions,
• wherein the one or more decoupling spacers are formed from a material that is not a ferromagnet.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an array of writers, each writer having:
• a first write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the first write pole;
• a second write pole having a pole tip extending from a media facing side of the second write pole;
• a nonmagnetic write gap between the pole tips of the write poles;
• and
• a high moment layer between the write gap and the pole tip of the second write pole,
• the high moment layer having a higher magnetic moment than a magnetic moment of the pole tip of the second write pole,
• the high moment layer being segmented into at least two portions by one or more decoupling spacers positioned between adjacent ones of the portions,
• wherein a first of the portions has a width along a tape facing surface thereof and parallel to the write gap that is less than a width of a second of the portions.