Magneto-optical (MO) switches operate with a dynamically applied magnetic field. The MO devices presented in this paper consist of microring resonators (MRRs) fabricated on amorphous silicon-on-garnet platform. Two types of MO switches with MRRs were developed. In the first type, the switching state is controlled by an external magnetic field component included in the device. By combination of MO and thermo-optic effects, wavelength tunable operation is possible without any additional heater, and broadband switching is achievable. The other type of switch is a self-holding optical switch integrated with an FeCoB thin-film magnet. The switching state is driven by the remanence of the integrated thin-film magnet, and the state is maintained without any power supply.

We demonstrate a novel fiber device exhibiting magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and Faraday rotation in sharpened optical fibers coated with Fe. The degree of MCD was 0.68 in a magnetic field of 0.35 T and the Faraday rotation angle was as great as 110 degrees. Such great magneto-optical effect is due to optical near-field interactions in the sub-wavelength region, i.e., in the tip of the near-field fiber probe. These effects can be attributed to the large magnitude of the magneto optical coefficient of Fe.

The present paper deals with the frequency-dependent finite difference time domain ((FD)2TD) method analysis of the light-beam scattering from a land/groove recording magneto-optical (MO) disk model with an Al reflective layer (ALRL) in order to improve the conventional analysis for MO disk models under the assumption of perfectly conducting reflective layer (PCRL). Numerical examples of main- and cross-polarized scattered fields and the phase difference between them are presented. We show the comparison of the scattering characteristics between ALRL and PCRL, and also examine the dependence of the cross talk of the readout signal due to adjacent recorded marks on both the recorded mark size and the depth of grooves.

A standard of Advanced Storage Magneto Optical (AS-MO) having a 6 Gbyte capacity in a 120 mm-diameter single side disk was established by using a magnetically induced superresolution readout method. Transition from in-plane to perpendicular magnetization for exchange-coupled readout layer (GdFeCo) and in-plane magnetization mask layer (GdFe) of the AS-MO disk has been investigated using the noncontinuous model. The readout resolution was sensitive to the thickness of the readout layer. To evaluate readout characteristics of AS-MO disks, the simulation using micro magnetics model was performed and the readout layers were designed. The readout characteristics of the AS-MO disk is improved by making the readout layer thinner.

This paper implements some new techniques to analyze the light beam scattering from a magneto-optical (MO) disk using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The anisotropic FDTD update equations are implemented to calculate the propagation of a coherent monochromatic light in the MO material. An anisotropic absorbing boundary condition based on Berenger's perfectly matched layer (PML) concept is also developed. The Gaussian incident light beam is introduced into FDTD computation region exactly by using equivalent electric and magnetic currents. The scattering pattern of light beam from the MO disk is computed and in part compared with that obtained by using the boundary element method. The scattering patterns by the circular recording bit of different radius are calculated to indicate the optimum radius of the recording bit.

Recently, many types of high-density recording technologies for future MO (Magneto-Optical) storage have been reported. MSR (Magnetically Induced Super Resolution) technology is one of the most promising candidates, and over ten types of MSR technologies have been already proposed. However, they are not well-discussed from the viewpoint of total recording technology which would include the recording and readout methods, the pick-up technology and the signal processing technology. Key technologies for realizing MO storage of over 7 GBytes in a CD-sized disk using a red laser are proposed, and the experimental results pertaining to each key technology are described. The write/read characteristics were examined for the CAD (Center Aperture Detection)-MSR disk. From the characteristics of the CAD-MSR disk combined with laser pumped magnetic field modulation recording, it was shown that land/groove (0.7 µm width) recording with the linear density of 0.27 µm/bit and track pitch below 0.7 µm can be realized. It was also shown that CAD-MSR disk is well combined with an OSR (Optical Super Resolution) pick up, laser pumped read-out and PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) technologies which are very useful to achieve a high density MO disk. Using CAD-MSR disk combined with above technologies together, high density write/read with a bit length of 0.2 µm and a track pitch of 0.6 µm should be realized with using the laser of 635 nm wavelength. Applying the CAD-MSR disks to a CD sized MO disk, the capacity becomes over 7 GBytes (Format efficiency: 80%), which is 20 times higher than 5.25 inches MO disk and 1.5 times than DVD-ROM.

Computer circumstance have changed drastically, and larger capacity removable media is indispensable. Magneto-optical disk is promising candidate to satisfy computer user's needs. In this report, future perspective of high density magneto-optical recording technology is investigated.

Tilt margins for disk and lens for a magneto-optical (MO) head were studied for designing a disk system for use with objective lenses having numerical apertures (NA) of 0.55, 0.60, and 0.65. The tilt margins were examined to determine the aberration characteristics of objective lenses and bit error rate (BER) by recording and reproducing signal. In preparing the optical head for testing disk and lens tilt margins, the aberrations were measured by image processing from the CCD area sensor for the spot image of the focused beam, and BER dependencies on the tilting of lens and disk were obtained at the velocity of the outer diameter of the MO disk at the bit rate of 80-Mbps (1, 7 code modulation) recording. According to the aberration and BER characteristics, the limitation for effective wavefront aberration would be 0.05λ rms, the tilt margins corresponded to BER limitation at the level of 3*10-5. The disk margins for NA=0.55, 0.6, and 0.65 were 0.4, 0.2, and 0.1 degrees. The lens tilt margins for NA=0.55, 0.6, and 0.65 were 0.2, 0.1, and 0.05 degrees.

A magneto-optical head lens actuator was developed for use at a high information bit rate and high density recording. A high bit rate at the outer diameter of a 300 mm disk (velocity = 27.3 m/s) was attained by mounting an aspherical plastic lens and optimizing the shape of lens holder for achieving higher spurious frequency over 30 kHz, utilizing the finite element method (FEM). Another approach was focused on reducing gain peak at the natural frequnecy by adopting "multi-wire" and a silicone "gel box" damping system for stabilizing the pull-in characteristic for focusing and tracking. By the actuator realization, a high density recording of 0.34 µm/bit and high information bit rate 80 Mbps (1, 7 code modulation) recording were attained.