An optical flying head system that features a dual-stage tracking mechanism for use in high-density MO recording

Much research work has recently been carried out on increasing the recording density on a first-surface optical disk using the combination of a blue-violet laser diode and high-NA lens. In order to achieve higher recording densities for removable magneto-optical (MO) disks, an optical flying head (OFH) with an integrated magnetic field modulation (MFM) coil and high-NA lens has been developed. The combination of the OFH and high-density media technology is expected to lead to an areal density of 100 Gb/in² and a data-transfer rate of 100 Mbps. In this paper, we give an overview of an optical disk system using an OFH that is suitable for use with removable MO media. We also present the structure of a mechanism for high-precision tracking by this system.