Patent ID: 8018762

Claim:
An information recording and reproducing apparatus, comprising: a stacked structure including an electrode layer and a recording layer; a buffer layer added to the electrode layer; and a voltage application unit configured to apply a voltage to the recording layer, produce a phase change in the recording layer, and record information, the recording layer including a first layer including a first compound having an ilmenite structure represented by A x M y X 3 (0.1≦x≦1.1 and 0.75≦y≦1), the A and the M being mutually different elements, at least one selected from the A and the M being a transition element having a d orbit incompletely filled by electrons, the A being an element including at least one selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, the M being an element including at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ge, Sn, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re, Ru, and Rh, the X being an element including at least one selected from the group consisting of O (oxygen) and N (nitrogen).