Magnetoresistive transducer having laminated magnetic shields

A magnetoresistive read transducer includes a magnetoresistive layer that is sandwiched between a pair of laminated magnetic shields. Each laminated magnetic shield includes at least two layers of ferromagnetic material spaced by a layer of non-magnetic material. The respective magnetization vectors of uniaxial anisotropy in the shields are opposite to each other. The magnetization vectors in the two ferromagnetic layers form a closed magnetic path which is substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the layer interfaces. The magnetic pattern thus formed is highly stable, so that the magnetoresistive layer generates output signals with low Barkhausen noise and further allows the transducer to interact with recording media having high linear recording density.