Scanning Laser Microscopy Of Magneto-optic Storage Media

The application of scanning laser microscopy to the evaluation of the properties and performance of magneto-optic storage media and magneto-optic record/replay systems is described. It is shown that scanning laser microscopy provides a most powerful tool for the investigation of such media and systems. Not only can fundamental properties, such as Kerr rotation, reflectivity, coercivity, and hysteresis loop shape of the storage material itself be investigated, but a quantitative measure of recording and overwrite performance can be obtained. Furthermore, the evaluation of important record/replay system parameters such as noise performance and read head resolution is straightforward. Finally, it is shown that the scanning laser microscope provides an ideal instrument base with which to investigate novel record and replay methods, such as direct overwrite and phase contrast and super-resolution read techniques.