A thermally-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording head and system has a head carrier that supports an optical channel for the transmission of radiation to the recording layer, a write pole for directing a magnetic field to the recording layer, and an electrical coil for inducing the magnetic field from the write pole. The optical channel has a radiation exit face with an aperture at the recording-layer-facing surface of the head carrier. The write pole has a pole tip with an end face that is recessed from the recording-layer-facing surface. The write pole tip is tapered down to the end faces. The pole tip taper and the recession of the end face concentrates the write field at the middle of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer where the radiation from the optical channel is incident. The characteristic dimension of the aperture and the spacing between the aperture and the recording layer are both less than the wavelength of the radiation. The radiation source may be a laser diode mounted to the head carrier.