MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM, ITS RECORDING/REPRODUCING METHOD, AND RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEVICE

Magnetic recording media conventionally require a time-consuming and cost-increasing task of recording servo pits on each individual disk. Disclosed are a magneto-optical recording medium and a recording and reproducing method for the magneto-optical recording medium. The magneto-optical recording medium has the structure in which at least a recording layer magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the plane is formed on a disk substrate, and allows a format signal to be formed thereon by changing the magnetization direction or the magnetic anisotropy of the recording layer or by oxidizing the recording layer to form pits. This structure significantly improves the disk productivity and reduces the disk cost and also enables the magnetic recording medium to have good characteristics including stable servo characteristics.