be obtained the magnetic characteristics of the assist layer 26 can be arbitrarily set independently of the recording layer 22 because no exchange coupling occurs therebetween if exchange coupling occurs between the recording layer and the assist layer it would be required to find out optimum conditions between the magnetic characteristics of the recording layer and the magnetic characteristics of the assist layer causing a narrow margin of the composition of each layer since the coercive force of the assist layer 26 is small the magnetization therein can be easily oriented in the direction of an applied magnetic field as a result a leakage magnetic field can be generated in a recording direction or erasing direction accordingly the assist layer 26 is effective in recording or erasing and it is not necessary to initialize the assist layer 26 there will now be described a magneto optical recording medium according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention although not especially shown a multilayer film having the same configuration as that in the first preferred embodiment is formed on the substrate 14 in the second preferred embodiment a magnetic assist layer 26 u2032 is used the composition of the magnetic assist layer 26 u2032 is gd 25 fe 67 co 8 the magnetic assist layer 26 u2032 has a curie temperature of about 300 u00b0 c and is re rich rare earth magnetization dominant at room temperature the magnetic assist layer 26 u2032 having the above composition is a perpendicularly magnetized film in a temperature range from a lower temperature.