Comparison of readout characteristics between magnetooptic transfer heads and magnetic heads

The readout characteristics of a magnetooptic transfer (MOT) head were compared with those of a magnetic head. Magnetic recording/readout was done on a CrO₂ flexible disk by using a head with a track width of 5 μm. A Bi-substituted garnet film with a domain width of 1.2 μm and an He-Ne laser spot focused down to 3 μm were used as the MOT head. Readout waveforms from both heads were surprisingly similar. The maximum carrier-to-noise ratio obtained was 50 dB (bandwidth: 30 kHz) for both heads. Experimental data for off-track and crosstalk characteristics demonstrated that the MOT head was suitable for use as a high-track-density readout head. The potential advantages of multitrack readout using MOT heads are described