A highly sensitive reversible and nonvolatile hybrid photoconductive/magneto-optic storage material

The optical recording sensitivity of magneto-optic memory materials can be greatly enhanced by combining their physical stability and reversibility with the high optical sensitivity of certain photoconductors. Feasibility experiments have been performed on a magneto-optic–photoconductor sandwich (called MOPS) of a liquid-phase epitaxial ferrimagnetic garnet film at its magnetic compensation temperature covered by a Cu-doped CdS temperature covered by a Cu-doped CdS film and electrodes. Using a HeNe laser a recording sensitivity, referred to 1% read-out efficiency, of better than 1 μJ/mm2 % at magnetic switching fields <100 Oe and ≳400 Hz repetition rate has been achieved. 106 switching events have not degraded the performance of MOPS.