Abstract: Provided is a magnetic domain wall displacement magneto-optical recording medium having a preferable reproducing signal characteristic. The magnetic domain wall displacement magneto-optical recording medium includes at least a magnetic domain wall displacement layer, a switching layer, and a recording layer, in which magnetic coupling between recording tracks is disconnected. An in-plane magnetized film layer is further provided adjacent to the surface of a recording layer opposite to a side of the recording layer facing the magnetic domain wall displacement layer.

Abstract: There is provided a method of annealing an optical recording medium formed on a substrate having a land and a groove, comprising the steps of: annealing one side wall between the land and the groove with a predetermined laser power; moving the laser to another side wall by allowing the laser to traverse one of the land and the groove with a laser power for not annealing after the step of annealing is conducted; and annealing the another side wall with the laser power.

Abstract: A domain-wall-displacement-type magnetooptical recording medium is provided in which a floating magnetic field from a surrounding portion that operates on a recording/reproducing portion is suppressed. The recording medium includes a displacement layer having a composition such that rare-earth-element sub-lattice magnetization is dominant at room temperature, a switching layer, a memory layer, and a magnetization compensation layer in which iron-family-element sub-lattice magnetization is dominant at room temperature, for suppressing generation of a stray magnetic field at a temperature near room temperature.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic domain wall displacement magneto-optical recording medium having a preferable reproducing signal characteristic. The magnetic domain wall displacement magneto-optical recording medium includes at least a magnetic domain wall displacement layer, a switching layer, and a recording layer, in which magnetic coupling between recording tracks is disconnected. An in-plane magnetized film layer is further provided adjacent to the surface of a recording layer opposite to a side of the recording layer facing the magnetic domain wall displacement layer.

Abstract: There is provided a method of annealing an optical recording medium formed on a substrate having a land and a groove, comprising the steps of: annealing one side wall between the land and the groove with a predetermined laser power; moving the laser to another side wall by allowing the laser to traverse one of the land and the groove with a laser power for not annealing after the step of annealing is conducted; and annealing the another side wall with the laser power.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium has a domain wall displacement layer, a recording layer for accumulating information and a switching layer arranged between said domain wall displacement layer and said recording layer and having a Curie temperature lower than those of the latter two layers. The domain wall displacement layer, the switching layer and the recording layer are coupled by exchange coupling at temperature not higher than the Curie temperature of the switching layer. The saturation magnetization of the domain wall displacement layer and the recording layer are in opposite directions to each other when the layers are coupled by exchange coupling at a temperature close to the Curie temperature of the switching layer.

Abstract: A domain-wall-displacement-type magnetooptical recording medium is provided in which a floating magnetic field from a surrounding portion that operates on a recording/reproducing portion is suppressed. The recording medium includes a displacement layer having a composition such that rare-earth-element sub-lattice magnetization is dominant at room temperature, a switching layer, a memory layer, and a magnetization compensation layer in which iron-family-element sub-lattice magnetization is dominant at room temperature, for suppressing generation of a stray magnetic field at a temperature near room temperature.

Abstract: A magnetic layer having a third magnetic layer in which information is recorded and a first magnetic layer for regenerating information recorded in the third magnetic layer by displacing a magnetic domain wall is stacked on a substrate via first and second underlying layers to produce a magneto-optical recording medium. The second underlying layer adjacent to the first magnetic layer, and the first underlying layer is adjacent to the second underlying layer and on the side of the substrate. The first underlying layer and the second underlying layer have different densities.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium comprises a domain wall displacement layer (1) for displacing a domain wall, a recording layer (3) for accumulating information and a switching layer (2) arranged between said domain wall displacement layer and said recording layer and showing a Curie temperature lower than those of the latter two layers. The domain wall displacement layer, the switching layer and the recording layer are coupled by exchange coupling at temperature not higher than the Curie temperature of the switching layer. The saturation magnetization of the domain wall displacement layer and that of the recording layer are anti-parallel to each other in a state of being coupled by exchange coupling at temperature close to the Curie temperature of the switching layer. The magneto-optical recording medium can reproduce signals, eliminating fluctuations of the domain wall displacement starting point and suppressing jitters.