Submicron domains for high density magneto-optic data storage

This paper discusses the potential of using submicron magneto-optic domains for high density data storage applications. In TbFe, domains as small as 200 nm were controllably written and domains down to 70 nm diameter were observed to be magnetically stable. In order to demonstrate the use of submicron domains for data storage, a disk tester operating at 488 nm wavelength with 0.5 μm spot size was constructed. Using a TbFeCo disk, an areal density of 1.8 × 10
⁸
transitions/cm
²
was demonstrated with 44 dB carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR). Reasons for decreased CNR at short wavelengths are discussed.