A thermally assisted magnetic recording method includes the following
steps. The recording layer of a magnetic recording medium is irradiated
with a laser beam to produce a locally heated region. This heated region
is moved by causing the recording layer and the laser beam to move
relative to each other. To record desired information, a recording
magnetic field is applied to the heated region of the recording layer.
The laser beam has a cross section elongated in the direction in which
the heated region is moved.