Method and apparatus for recording and reproducing information by applying field in a direction other than the direction of magnetization or the direction to a surface of an information recording medium

Abstract

Disclosed are a reproducing method and a reproducing apparatus capable of performing reproduction with a wide power margin, as well as a recording method and a recording apparatus preferably used for super high density recording. A recording and reproducing apparatus principally comprises a magnetic field-applying unit, a laser beam-radiating section, and a signal processing system. A magnetic coil which is provided for the magnetic field-applying unit, is arranged so that its axis of magnetic field generation is oblique to a surface of an information-recording medium A reproducing magnetic field is applied in an oblique direction to the surface of the information-recording medium by using the magnetic coil while radiating a reproducing light beam to the medium by using the laser beam-radiating section. Accordingly, the leak magnetic field in the in-plane direction from a recording magnetic domain in a recording layer is amplified. The inversion of magnetization in a reproducing layer tends to occur, and the reproducing power margin is widened. The recording and reproducing apparatus is also capable of recording information. An extremely minute recording magnetic domain can be formed in the recording layer of the information-recording medium.