Abstract: In a magnetic head having a pair of magnetic cores defining a magnetic gap in-between, a side of each magnetic core facing a recording medium is formed of a single-crystal ferrite, with the remaining portions of each magnetic core being formed of poly-crystal ferrite. The surface of the magnetic core facing the recording medium and the abutment surface of the magnetic core are the {100} plane and the {100} plane of the single-crystal ferrite, respectively. The magnetic head has excellent abrasion resistance and electro-magnetic conversion characteristics.

Abstract: A ferrite composed of a polycrystalline ferrite which is obtained by sintering a ferrite starting powder by a discharge plasma technique is described. The ferrite starting powder is appropriately a coprecipitated ferrite powder. Prior to the sintering, the coprecipitated powder is preferably thermally treated or calcined at temperatures of not lower than 900.degree. C. A composite ferrite is also described, which is composed of the polycrystalline ferrite and a single crystal ferrite bonded together obtained by contacting the single crystal ferrite with the coprecipitated ferrite powder or embedding the single crystal ferrite in the powder, under which the polycrystalline ferrite powder is sintered by the discharge plasma sintering thereby bonding both ferrites together.

Abstract: This invention relates to a ferrite single crystal represented by the formula:[(Li.sub.0.5 Fe.sub.0.5).sub.1-(x+y) Mn.sub.x Zn.sub.y ].sub.1-a Co.sub.a Fe.sub.2.0 O.sub.4where x is in the range from 0.1 to 0.4,y is in the range from 0.3 to 0.55 anda is in the range from 0 to 0.015.The ferrite single crystal is particularly suitable for use in a magnetic head structure.