| abstract |
A magneto-optical recording medium in which direct overwriting can be done by only modifying the power level and/or the pulse width of applied optical pulses, and without changing the direction of the bias magnetic field. The recording layer comprises first and second magnetic recording layers (3-1,3-2). The first magnetic layer (3-1) is a rare-earth transition metal-amorphous alloy and has a perpendicular easy magnetization axis, a thickness of 10 to 200 nm, and a compensation temperature above room temperature. The second magnetic layer (3-2) comprises an alloy of a first component of Co and/or Fe and a second component of a rare earth metal and/or a noble metal or an alloy of Co and at least one metal selected from Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga and Ge. The second magnetic layer (3-2) is a material having an in-plane easy magnetization axis such that it has a magnetization axis parallel to the second magnetic layer (3-2) if formed independently on a dielectric layer (2), the second magnetic layer (3-2) having a thickness of not more than 3nm. |