Plasmon generator including a heat sink layer interposed between two portions formed of different metal materials

A plasmon generator having a front end face configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon, comprising:

• a first portion formed of a first metal material and including the front end face;
• and
• a second portion formed of a second metal material and located at a distance from the front end face, wherein
• the second metal material is lower in Vickers hardness and higher in thermal conductivity than the first metal material,
• the first metal material contains one of Rh, Ir, Ru and Pt, and
• the second metal material is Cu.

A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head comprising:

• a medium facing surface configured to face a recording medium;
• a main pole for producing a write magnetic field for use to write data on the recording medium;
• a waveguide including a core and a cladding, the core allowing light to propagate therethrough, the cladding being provided around the core;
• a plasmon generator having a front end face configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon;
• and
• a heat sink interposed between the plasmon generator and the main pole, wherein
• the front end face of the plasmon generator is located in the medium facing surface,
• the plasmon generator includes a first portion and a heat sink layer, the first portion being formed of a first metal material and including the front end face, the heat sink layer being interposed between the first portion and the heat sink,
• the heat sink is formed of a metal material that is lower in Vickers hardness and higher in thermal conductivity than the first metal material, and
• the heat sink layer is formed of a metal material that has a thermal conductivity higher than that of each of the first metal material and the metal material used to form the heat sink, and a Vickers hardness lower than that of the first metal material and higher than that of the metal material used to form the heat sink.

A plasmon generator having a front end face configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon, comprising:

• a main part including the front end face;
• and
• a heat sink layer in contact with the main part, wherein
• the main part includes a first portion formed of a first metal material and including the front end face,
• the heat sink layer is formed of a second metal material and located at a distance from the front end face,
• the main part has a first rear end farthest from the front end face,
• the heat sink layer has a second rear end farthest from the front end face,
• the second rear end is located at a greater distance from the front end face than is the first rear end,
• the second metal material is lower in Vickers hardness and higher in thermal conductivity than the first metal material,
• the first metal material contains one of Rh, Ir, Ru and Pt, and
• the second metal material is Cu.