The present invention provides a magnetic head including a magnetic flux guide layer for effectively inducing an external magnetic field in a free magnetic layer. A magnetic domain control layer is formed in a space below the magnetic flux guide layer and in front of a multilayer film near a surface facing a recording medium. Therefore, the shape of the magnetic flux guide layer can be made substantially flat to improve flux transmission efficiency. Also, the magnetization of the magnetic flux guide layer is controlled by laminating the magnetic flux guide layer on the magnetic domain control layer. Therefore, the magnetic domain control layer can be formed in a substantially flat thin film to stabilize a bias magnetic field to be supplied to the magnetic flux guide layer. Furthermore, the gap length of the magnetic head can be kept short.