Abstract: An optical head apparatus for a magneto-optical recording medium including a light beam source, an objective lens, a separating optical system, and a photodetector. The objective lens is provided for irradiating an output light beam from the light beam source as a focused light beam to the surface of the signal recording surface of the magneto-optical recording medium. The separating optical system separates the light beam radiated from the light beam source from a reflected light beam reflected by the signal recording surface of the magneto-optical recording medium via the objective lens. The photodetector receives the reflected light beam thus separated by the separating optical system. The separating optical system also includes an enhancement element which apparently increases the Kerr rotation angle of the reflected light beam.