Magneto-optical recording medium and reading method with magnetic layers of different coercivity

A method for reading recorded magnetization information from a magneto-optical recording medium comprising at least a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer having different coercivities,

• said medium including a number of sites at which magnetization reversal occurs along a polar Kerr hysteresis curve in a temperature range from room temperature to the temperature of reading light irradiation and said first and second magnetic layers meeting the following relationship:
• .vertline..theta..sub.k1 .vertline.>.vertline..theta..sub.k2 .vertline.
• wherein .theta..sub.k1 is an apparent Kerr rotation angle when the first magnetic layer has not undergone magnetization reversal and the second magnetic layer has undergone magnetization reversal and .theta..sub.k2 is an apparent Kerr rotation angle when both the first and second magnetic layers have undergone magnetization reversal,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• applying an external magnetic field to the magneto-optical recording medium for at least one of a period before and a period during reading, and
• irradiating reading light onto the first magnetic layer for reading.