High-density information recording/reproducing method

Abstract

An optical recording/reproducing method employs a recording laser beam having a first output and a first wavelength, and a reproducing laser beam having a second output lower than the first output and a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength. A disk-like recording medium is irradiated with the recording and reproducing laser beams by use of an objective lens having an NA of about 0.55 so that a small mark equal to or smaller than about one fourth of a spot size optically defined from the wavelength of the recording laser beam and the NA of the objective lens is formed on the recording medium by a recording characteristic of the recording medium and a shielding plate provided in an optical system for irradiation with the laser beam. Two-dimensional recording is performed as a recording system to arrange marks at lattice points of a two-dimensional lattice which extend in a track direction and a track radius direction. The reproducing system detects a reproduction signal from the mark on the two-dimensional lattice point, and the reproduction signal from each mark is used to perform a signal processing, thereby detecting information.