The present invention relates to a method and a corresponding device for recording data in the form of marks and for erasing recorded marks in an information layer of a record carrier by irradiating the information layer by means of a pulsed radiation beam, a recorded mark being erased by a sequence of erase pulses (31, 32), said information layer having a phase reversibly changeable between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase. In order to achieve a significant reduction in power consumption, which is at least important for portable optical drives such as an SFFO drive, it is proposed according to the present invention that at least one of the erase pulses in said sequence of erase pulses (31, 32) has an erase power level which is decreasing with time. The present invention also relates to a method and a device for reading information from a record carrier.