Patent ID: 8542559

Claim:
An information recording and reproduction apparatus comprising: a magnetic recording medium mounted to undergo rotation in a predetermined direction; at least one light source that emits a light beam to heat the magnetic recording medium; a pivot shaft disposed outside of the magnetic recording medium; a carriage mounted to undergo rotational movement around the pivot shaft, the carriage including a base portion, which is formed so as to be rotatable around the pivot shaft, and at least one arm portion, which is provided to extend from the base portion along a surface of the magnetic recording medium, the base portion being disposed closer to the pivot shaft than the at least one arm portion, and the light source being disposed on the base portion so as to be closer to the pivot shaft than the at least one arm portion; at least one suspension configured to be flexibly deformable in a thickness direction and being integrally mounted to a distal end of the at least one arm portion of the carriage; and a slider supported by the at least one suspension so as to face the surface of the magnetic recording medium, the slider including an optical system which condenses a light beam emitted from the light source and a spot light generating element which generates spot light from the condensed light beam; wherein information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium by heating the magnetic recording medium with the spot light generated by the spot light generating element and causing magnetization reversal by applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium.