Magneto-optical store with a magnetic head integrated into the scanning unit

摘要

In the case of conventional magneto-optical stores information is recorded by exposing/blanking out the radiation source while a direct-current magnetic field is applied at the same time. This requires an erasing procedure before the actual recording operation. Before the subsequent recording operation, the polarity of the magnetic field is reversed. This erasing procedure, which prolongs the processing time considerably, is to be eliminated. For this purpose there is provided a vertical magnetic head (23), which generates the magnetic field, forms a mechanical unit with a positionable optical scanning head (17) and is arranged with only an air gap separating it from the surface of a storage disk (10). While there is provided a radiation source (1), which continuously emits a radiation energy adequate for the recording of information, the magnetic head (23) is designed in such a way that it generates a vertically directed magnetic field with a direction of magnetisation controlled by the information to be stored. The storage disk (10) preferably has a magnetically conducting return layer (12) arranged underneath the magneto-optical storage layer (13). Rewritable optical store. IMAGE