Magneto-optical disk device capable of performing magnetic domain expansion reproduction by dc magnetic field and reproducing method

摘要

A magneto-optical disk apparatus (100) includes an optical pickup (101) and a magnetic head (113). The optical pickup (101) irradiates a magneto-optical recording medium (10) with a laser beam of such intensity that a part of a reproducing layer of the magneto-optical recording medium (10) is heated to a temperature over the compensation temperature. The magnetic head (113) applies to the magneto-optical recording medium (10) a DC magnetic field having intensity weaker than the intensity at which magnetization of a transition-metal-richarea in a part of the reproducing layer heated to a temperature over the compensation temperature is inverted. The optical pickup (101) detects a magneto-optical signal varying in intensity between two levels. As a result, a signal can be reproduced correctly from the magneto-optical recording medium (10) by a magnetic domain enlargement system.