Magneto-optical recording medium having multiple magnetic layers capable of reducing reproducing laser power

Abstract

A magneto-optical recording medium for recording and reproducing carriers by laser beam irradiation includes a first magnetic layer which is magnetized in the in-plane direction at room temperature and is perpendicularly magnetized at a predetermined temperature T1 or more; a second magnetic layer which is in contact with the first magnetic layer, has a Curie temperature Tc2 higher than the predetermined temperature T1, and has in-plane magnetic anisotropy up to the Curie temperature Tc2; a third magnetic layer which has a Curie temperature Tc3 higher than the predetermined temperature T1 and has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at least in a predetermined range of a temperature distribution of the magneto-optical recording medium during laser beam irradiation when reproducing; and a rare earth metal layer formed between the third magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.