Magneto-optical recording medium and method of reproducing information recorded on such medium

摘要

A magneto-optical recording medium adapted for reproduction of a high resolution signal without the necessity of a reproducing magnetic field. The magneto-optical recording medium comprises a transparent substrate and deposits of a reproducing layer, a switch layer and a recording layer formed on the transparent substrate successively. The reproducing layer is a perpendicular magnetization film at a room temperature but is turned to an in-plane magnetization film when heated beyond a predetermined temperature. Each of the switch layer and the recording layer is a perpendicular magnetization film. The respective Curie temperatures Tc1, Tc2 and Tc3 of the reproducing layer, the switch layer and the recording layer satisfy the relationship of Tc1>Tc3>Tc2. When a reproducing laser beam is irradiated to the recording medium, the switched connection between the reproducing layer and the recording layer is interrupted in a high temperature region heated beyond the Curie temperature of the switch layer, whereby the reproducing layer is caused to present in-plane magnetization.