Magnetic head for perpendicular recording having a plurality of magnetic path portions

A magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, comprising:

• a medium facing surface facing a recording medium;
• a coil producing a magnetic field corresponding to data to be written on the recording medium;
• a main pole having an end face located in the medium facing surface, the main pole allowing a magnetic flux that corresponds to the magnetic field produced by the coil to pass, and producing a write magnetic field for writing the data on the recording medium by means of a perpendicular magnetic recording system;
• a write shield made of a magnetic material and having an end face located in the medium facing surface;
• a gap part made of a nonmagnetic material and interposed between the main pole and the write shield;
• and
• a return path section made of a magnetic material and connecting the write shield and part of the main pole away from the medium facing surface to each other, wherein
• the end face of the write shield includes a first end face portion located on a front side in a direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the end face of the main pole,
• the return path section includes a first yoke layer located on the front side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the main pole, and a first coupling part coupling the main pole and the first yoke layer to each other,
• the first coupling part includes a plurality of magnetic path portions that separate the magnetic flux into a plurality of fluxes and allow the fluxes to pass therethrough in parallel, and
• the coil includes a plurality of winding portions each of which is disposed around a different one of the plurality of magnetic path portions, the plurality of magnetic path portions and the plurality of winding portions being in a same plane perpendicular to the direction of travel of the recording medium.