In a magneto-optical recording and reproducing apparatus using a magnetic recording medium having a perpendicular magnetization layer, a magnetization direction detecting apparatus for detecting the magnetization direction of its perpendicular magnetization layer is provided to correctly carry out the recording, reproducing and erasing. In this magnetization direction detecting apparatus, a rectilineally polarized laser light (14) is made incident on a perpendicular magnetization layer (11-2) of a magnetic recording medium magnetized in the same direction previously and a reflected light of this laser light from the perpendicular magnetization layer is detected through an analyzer (19) by a photo detecting element (21) to thereby detect the magnetization direction of the perpendicular magnetization layer by the output level from the photo detecting element.
展开▼
