Domain observation during direct overwrite on magneto-optical recording films

Abstract
Domain patterns were observed with a polarized microscope during direct thermomagnetic overwrite at a fixed bias magnetic field. The size of a recorded domain can be changed reversibly by irradiation of laser pulses with various durations. By scanning a rapidly pulsed laser beam on a film, a stripe domain can be written, erased, and manipulated. This technique may be used in a new type of rewritable memory device. These overwrite behaviors can be explained with a model which assumes that an initial domain formed during laser pulse heating shrinks during cooling.