An object of the present invention is to make it possible to record
information on an optical information recording medium in the form of
three dimensional interference patterns so that the information is
erasable in part.The optical information recording medium (1) has an
information recording layer (3) made of a magneto-optic recording
material. A pick-up (11) of an optical information recording/reproducing
apparatus generates information light by spatially modulating laser light
emitted from a light source unit (20) with a spatial light modulator
(22), and generates recording-specific reference light spatially
modulated in phase by spatially modulating the phase of the laser light
emitted from the light source (20) with a phase-spatial light modulator
(16). The information recording layer (3) of the optical information
recording medium (1) is irradiated with the information light and the
recording-specific reference light. An electromagnetic coil (30) applies
a magnetic field to the information recording layer (3). A
three-dimensional distribution pattern of magnetization corresponding to
the interference pattern resulting from the information light and the
recording-specific reference light is formed in the information recording
layer (3).