Patent ID: 6930847

Claim:
A magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus comprising: a magnetic recording medium comprising a nonmagnetic substrate, and a functional layer and a recording layer formed on the nonmagnetic substrate, the recording layer containing magnetic particles and a nonmagnetic material interposed between the magnetic particles, the recording layer exhibiting a magnetic anisotropy energy density expressed by Ku RL , the functional layer having no magnetization without irradiation with light and developing ferromagnetism upon irradiation with light so as to exhibit a magnetic anisotropy energy density expressed by Ku FL lower than the Ku RL and the functional layer serving to lower the magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording layer through exchange coupling interaction with the recording layer when the functional layer is irradiated with light; a light source which irradiates the functional layer with light; and a magnetic head comprising a writing head writing signal magnetization by applying a magnetic field to the recording layer and a reading head reading the signal magnetization recorded in the recording layer.