The erasable electro-optic storage disk for use in focused laser beam operated data handling systems compri­ses a semiconductor substrate (11) with a storage layer (14) arranged on top of it that is capable of trapping charge carriers. Electric contacts (15, 16) are connected to the semiconductor substrate and to the storage layer, respectively. An energy barrier (12-13) with associated depletion zone is formed in the substrate (11) near the interface with the storage layer (14). Upon simultaneous application of a control voltage to the contacts (15, 16) and of a focused laser beam (18) directed at a storage site (19), electron pairs are generated in the depletion zone, and charge carriers are transferred towards the interface. This causes a reduction of the depletion zone and thus of the voltage over the depletion zone, and an increase of the field in the storage layer (14), whereby charge carriers are injected into and trapped in the storage layer (14).