magneto-optical disk

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magneto-optical disk



Plastic or glass disks coated with a compound (often TbFeCo) with special properties. The disk is read by bouncing a low-intensity laser off the disk. Originally the laser was infrared, but frequencies up to blue may be possible; the shorter the wavelength the higher the possible density. The polarisation of the reflected light depends on the polarity of the stored magnetic field.

To write, a higher-intensity laser is used to heat the material up to its Curie point, allowing its magnetisation to be altered and "frozen" as it cools.

Storage FAQ (http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/arch-storage/part1/faq.html).

(1995-03-15)