A magnetic head for perpendicular recording having reduced side writing and erasing is disclosed. The writer portion of the magnetic head includes a main pole and a return pole. The main pole includes a multilayer main pole tip and a multilayer yoke. The layers of the main pole tip and the yoke are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other with a non-magnetic metal. Antiferromagnetic coupling between the layers of the main pole tip and the yoke dramatically reduces fringing flux emanated from the sides of the main pole intending to close through an upper portion of the return pole. A biasing antiferromagnetic layer is coupled to the upper portion of the return pole to bias the return pole parallel to the air bearing surface. This prevents or reduces the effect of domain wall formation in the return pole, which results in further reduction in side writing and erasing.