Method of optically recording information and apparatus therefor.

摘要

When information is recorded by emitting a laser beam from a laser beam source (21), focusing the laser beam to irradiate a recording layer (31) of an information recording medium (30), and changing the optical characteristics of the irradiated portion of the information recording medium (30), an information signal is converted by a recording signal generator (27) into a multilevel recording signal, and the output power of the laser beam to irradiate the recording layer (31) of the recording medium (30) is changed by a modulating unit (22) in a multilevel manner in accordance with the recording signal. Therefore, a portion having different optical characteristics from those of a portion not irradiated with the laser beam is formed in the recording layer (31).