Magnetic recording medium, and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

A magnetic recording medium comprising:

• a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer in this order on a non-magnetic substrate,
• wherein the protective layer comprises carbon or hydrogenated carbon,
• the lubricant layer is formed on the protective layer to come into contact therewith,
• the carbon protective layer in an interface with the lubricant layer comprises nitrogen,
• an amount of the nitrogen contained in the interface is in a range of 50 atomic % to 90 atomic %,
• the lubricant layer comprises
• a compound A expressed by the following General Formula (1):
• R1—C6H4OCH2CH(OH)CH2OCH2—R2—CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH (1)
• wherein R1 represents an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and
• R2 represents (i) —CF2O(CF2CF2O)x(CF2O)yCF2—, wherein those inside of parentheses of x, y are coupled in this order, in reverse order, or in a random manner, and x and y each represents real numbers of 0 to 15;
• (ii) —CF2CF2O(CF2CF2CF2O)zCF2CF2—, wherein z represents a real number of 1 to 15;
• or (iii) —CF2CF2CF2O(CF2CF2CF2CF2O)CF2CF2CF2—, wherein n represents a real number of 0 to 4, and
• a compound B expressed by the following General Formula (2):
• CH2(OH)CH(OH)CH2OCH2CF2CF2(OCF2CF2CF2)mOCF2CF2CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH (2)
• wherein m represents an integer in a range of 4 to 60,
• a mass ratio (A/(A+B)) of the compound A to the sum of the compound A and the compound B is in a range of 0.05 to 0.9, and
• an average film thickness of the lubricant layer is in a range of 0.5 nm to 2 nm.