Embodiments of the invention secure a sufficiently large magnetic field, and deter a protrusion phenomenon of a perpendicular magnetic recording head, causing a problem in implementing a low flying height, while solving problems such as erasure of information in peripheral tracks. In one embodiment, a main pole or a stacked body made up of the main pole, and an auxiliary pole is deposited over an underlayer formed on a substrate so as to be in contact with the underlayer. On top of the main pole or the stacked body, there is deposited a coil, a return pole, and a read element in that order, thereby fabricating a perpendicular magnetic recording head. Further, an additional structure may be added such that an underlayer containing a metal is disposed between the substrate, and the main pole or the stacked body made up of the main pole, and the auxiliary pole, and a heat diffusion layer is disposed between portions of the coil and the substrate, or portions of the coil is disposed closer to the substrate than other portions of the coil.