Magneto-optical recording medium

A magneto-optical recording medium for direct overwriting which comprises modifying at least one of a power level and pulse width of applied optical pulses without changing the direction of the bias magnetic field,

• said medium comprising a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer, and a metal reflecting layer in this order over a transparent substrate,
• wherein said recording layer is composed of a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer,
• wherein said first magnetic layer comprises a rare-earth transition-metal amorphous alloy and has a perpendicular easy magnetization axis, wherein said first magnetic layer has a thickness of 10 to 200 nm and has a compensation temperature above room temperature,
• wherein said second magnetic layer comprises a first component made of an alloy of at least one of Co and Fe and a second component made of (i) at least one of a rare earth metal and a noble metal or (ii) an alloy of Co and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga and Ge;
• wherein said second magnetic layer has an in-plane easy magnetization axis parallel to the second magnetic layer when formed separately on a dielectric layer, and wherein said second magnetic layer has a thickness of not more than 3 nm.