Abstract: This invention allows super-resolution reproduction with which a better bER value is attainable, when information is recorded by a random pattern including a mark length not longer than a resolution limit, by use of a highly versatile signal decoding method. Information is recorded as marks and spaces coded by RLL(1,7) modulation, which each of the marks and spaces have one of a plurality of lengths, and 2T marks and 2T spaces of the marks and spaces being formed are shorter than 0.12 ?m. An information recording layer (20) includes a reproduction film (21) and a reflective film (22) which are provided in this order from a side from which reproducing light is incident, which reproduction film is made of (i) zinc oxide, (ii) strontium titanate, (iii) titanium oxide, (iv) cerium oxide, or (v) a material including at least one of the (i) through (iv), and which reflective film is made of tantalum or titanium.

Abstract: In an optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) for reproducing an optical information storage medium including a plurality of information recording layers each including a recording mark having a length shorter than an optical system resolution limit, reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer closest to a reproduction-laser-incident surface of the optical information storage medium is set to be lower than reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer farthest from the reproduction-laser-incident surface but not lower than minimum reproduction laser power that satisfies a reproduction signal characteristic that the optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) requires.

Abstract: In an optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) for reproducing an optical information storage medium including a plurality of information recording layers each including a recording mark having a length shorter than an optical system resolution limit, reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer closest to a reproduction-laser-incident surface of the optical information storage medium is set to be lower than reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer farthest from the reproduction-laser-incident surface but not lower than minimum reproduction laser power that satisfies a reproduction signal characteristic that the optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) requires.

Abstract: In an optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) for reproducing an optical information storage medium including a plurality of information recording layers each including a recording mark having a length shorter than an optical system resolution limit, reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer closest to a reproduction-laser-incident surface of the optical information storage medium is set to be lower than reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer farthest from the reproduction-laser-incident surface but not lower than minimum reproduction laser power that satisfies a reproduction signal characteristic that the optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) requires.

Abstract: In an optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) for reproducing an optical information storage medium including a plurality of information recording layers each including a recording mark having a length shorter than an optical system resolution limit, reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer closest to a reproduction-laser-incident surface of the optical information storage medium is set to be lower than reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer farthest from the reproduction-laser-incident surface but not lower than minimum reproduction laser power that satisfies a reproduction signal characteristic that the optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) requires.

Abstract: In an optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) for reproducing an optical information storage medium including a plurality of information recording layers each including a recording mark having a length shorter than an optical system resolution limit, reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer closest to a reproduction-laser-incident surface of the optical information storage medium is set to be lower than reproduction laser power for reading an information recording layer farthest from the reproduction-laser-incident surface but not lower than minimum reproduction laser power that satisfies a reproduction signal characteristic that the optical information storage medium reproduction apparatus (10) requires.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes: tracks each including a magnetic recording section in which information is recorded and a non-magnetic-recording section in which no information is recorded; and nonmagnetic guide sections magnetically separating the tracks from one another. The non-magnetic-recording section is formed integrally with nonmagnetic guide sections. The magnetic recording medium includes at least one pair of a first region in which at least a portion of each of the respective non-magnetic-recording sections of first and second tracks and a portion of a magnetic recording section of a third track coincide with one another at a position along a direction in which the tracks extend; and a second region in which at least a portion of each of the respective non-magnetic-recording sections of the first and third tracks and a portion of a magnetic recording section of the second track coincide with one another at a position along the direction in which the tracks extend.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium (1a) includes: a plurality of magnetic dots (13), provided on a substrate (11), in each of which information is stored by heating of the magnetic body; and separator layers (50). Each of the separator layers (50) is structured such that a metallic body layer (52) and two dielectric body layers (51) are alternately stacked in an in-plane direction of the substrate (11). Each of the separator layers (50) separates two magnetic dots from each other in the in-plane direction. Both sides of each of the magnetic dots (13) in the in-plane direction of the substrate (11) have contact with two dielectric body layers (52), respectively. This provides a magnetic recording medium (1a) whose magnetic dots (13) can be entirely heated with a reduction in the amount of power that is consumed by a recording head.

Abstract: This invention allows super-resolution reproduction with which a better bER value is attainable, when information is recorded by a random pattern including a mark length not longer than a resolution limit, by use of a highly versatile signal decoding method. Information is recorded as marks and spaces coded by RLL(1, 7) modulation, which each of the marks and spaces have one of a plurality of lengths, and 2T marks and 2T spaces of the marks and spaces being formed are shorter than 0.12 ?m. An information recording layer (20) includes a reproduction film (21) and a reflective film (22) which are provided in this order from a side from which reproducing light is incident, which reproduction film is made of (i) zinc oxide, (ii) strontium titanate, (iii) titanium oxide, (iv) cerium oxide, or (v) a material including at least one of the (i) through (iv), and which reflective film is made of tantalum or titanium.

Abstract: A magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus 100 includes: a magnetic head 1; a magnetic recording medium 2; a spindle 3 and a spindle motor 4; a suspension arm 5; a voice coil motor 6; and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 has: a motor driver 8; a head amplifier 9; a read/write channel 10; a laser driver 11; and a controller 12. The controller 12 has: a preliminary recording unit 13; a judgment unit 14; an extraction unit 15; a drive condition determining unit 16; and a preliminary recording terminating unit 17. Based on a reproduction signal evaluation value obtained using these units and a predetermined reference value, a drive condition is determined which is suitable for recording onto the magnetic recording medium 2.

Abstract: According to the present invention, heat generation amount control information for controlling a heat generation amount of a heat generating section (20) is arranged to correspond to each of temperatures so that a predetermined heat generation amount is obtained at each of the temperatures. The present invention includes a first computing section (41) that controls the heat generation amount of the heat generating section (20) according to the heat generation amount control information that is arranged in advance to correspond to temperature information that is obtained from a temperature sensor (13). This easily makes it possible to appropriately carry out at least either recording or reproduction with respect to a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: An electromagnetic field detecting element 10 includes a lamination of three insulation layers 2, 3, and 4. The dielectric breakdown strength of the insulation layer 3 is greater than the dielectric breakdown strengths of insulation layers 2 and 4. The three insulation layers 2, 3, and 4 are disposed between a pair of electrodes 5 and 6. Boundaries 7 and 8 on both ends of an overlapping region of the opposing surfaces 5a and 6a in a Z direction are apart from the insulation layer 3 by thicknesses t1 and t3 of the insulation layers 2 and 4, respectively. Between the pair of electrodes 5 and 6, ballistic current paths interposing therebetween the insulation layer 3 are formed by applying, between the pair of electrodes 5 and 6, an electric field having a magnitude which causes dielectric breakdown in the insulation layers 2 and 4 while causing no dielectric breakdown in the insulation layer 3.

Abstract: An opening (3) is formed on a surface of a metal film (2), a plurality of axes (4, 5, 6, 7) cross each other substantially perpendicularly at the opening (3), a plurality of periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) are provided for respective axes (4, 5, 6, 7), and each of the periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) includes a plurality of grooves (8-n, 9-n, 10-n, and 11-n) substantially perpendicular to the axis for which each periodic groove is provided, and the periodic grooves (8, 9, 10, 11) is positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the opening (3).

Abstract: There are provided a magnetic layer 2, a buffer layer 3 deposited on the magnetic layer 2, and a magnetic sensing section 7 constituted by a magneto-resistive device in which a fixed magnetization layer 4, a non-magnetic layer 5, and a magnetization-free layer 6 are deposited on the buffer layer 3 in this order. Further provided are a buffer layer 8 which sandwiches the magnetic sensing section 7 with the buffer layer 3 and a biasing layer 10 which covers the right and left sides of the part constituted by the buffer layer 3, the magnetic sensing section 7, and the buffer layer 8 and which is deposited on the magnetic layer 2 with a nonconductor layer 9 being interposed therebetween. On that surface, a near field light generation section 14 is formed which is constituted by a magnetic layer 11, a dielectric layer 12, and a metal layer 13.

Abstract: An electromagnetic field generating element includes a conductor that generates near-field light when irradiated with light and generates a magnetic field when a current flows through the conductor. The electromagnetic field generating element further includes a soft magnetic body provided at a position along a dimension of the conductor, the dimension being perpendicular to (i) a direction in which the conductor faces a magnetic recording medium to which the near-field light and the magnetic field are applied and to (ii) a direction in which the current flows. The present invention thus allows for provision of an electromagnetic field generating element that allows for reduction in its power consumption in optically assisted magnetic read/write using near-field light.

Abstract: A method of the present invention for forming fine particles includes forming fine particles on a substrate by supplying, in the presence of inert gas, to the substrate, atoms or molecules of a supply material capable of being combined with a material constituting a surface of the substrate to produce a compound, the atoms or the molecules being supplied from a supply source. The supply source is positioned in such a manner as not to be directly connected by a line with the surface of the substrate where the fine particles are to be formed, and a high-frequency voltage varying positively and negatively, ranging from 100 kHz to 100 MHz, is applied to at least one of the substrate and a substrate supporter for supporting the substrate. This realizes a method for forming fine particles that allows forming highly uniformed magnetic fine particles with a periodic pattern through a simple process at a time.

Abstract: A disc cartridge of the present invention is provided with a protrusion section on a shutter sliding surface so as to surround at least part of an opening. Moreover, a shutter for opening and closing the opening is provided with a shielding section for covering the opening and the protrusion section and a sliding surface for sliding on a shutter sliding surface during opening and closing operations of the shutter.

Abstract: Featured is a recording and reproducing method of a magneto-optical recording medium including a recording layer for recording thereon information magneto-optically and a readout layer which has in-plane magnetization at room temperature and where a transition occurs from in-plane magnetization to perpendicular magnetization as temperature raises. The method includes projecting a light beam onto such a magneto-optical recording medium so as to form a perpendicularly magnetized area in the readout layer by duplication of the magnetization of said recording layer to the area. In further embodiments, the recording medium further includes an intermediate layer made of non-magnetic film formed between the readout and recording layers and the readout and recording layers are composed of rare-earth transition metal alloys such as TbFeCo (recoding layer) readout layer, made of GdFeCo (readout layer).

Abstract: A disc cartridge of the present invention is provided with a protrusion section on a shutter sliding surface so as to surround at least part of an opening. Moreover, a shutter for opening and closing the opening is provided with a shielding section for covering the opening and the protrusion section and a sliding surface for sliding on a shutter sliding surface during opening and closing operations of the shutter.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium is composed of a base which has a property that a light can be transmitted therethrough, a readout layer formed on the base, which has in-plane magnetization at room temperature, whereas, a transition occurs from in-plane magnetization to perpendicular magnetization as the temperature thereof is raised and a recording layer formed on the readout layer for recording information magneto-optically. A recording and reproducing method and the optical head are designed for the magneto-optical recording medium. By the recording and reproducing method using the optical head, information recorded at high density can be reproduced.