Perpendicular recording

Patent Granted The invention provides a perpendicular recording medium with high recording density, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, by improving the function of magnetic anisotropy of a soft magnetic underlayer. The perpendicular recording medium has at least a soft magnetic underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer on a non-magnetic substrate, wherein when Ku[bottom] (erg/cm3) is defined as a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic energy, and Ms (emu/cm 3) is defined as a saturation magnetization of the soft magnetic underlayer, Ku[bottom] of the soft magnetic underlayer has a negative value and Ku[bottom]<-2piMs2.