Optical recording medium

An optical recording medium comprising a phase change recording layer which comprises antimony as a main component, wherein the recording layer crystallizes to provide a crystallized region which contains rhombohedral crystals consisting essentially of antimony and is substantially free of a crystal phase other than the rhombohedral crystals, and wherein said recording layer contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements, zirconium, hafnium, titanium and tin as an auxiliary component, and

• said medium further comprises a dielectric layer disposed contiguous to said recording layer and in front of said recording layer as viewed from the side where a recording/reading beam enters, said dielectric layer containing silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, or a mixture of zinc sulfide and silicon oxide, the content of silicon oxide in the mixture being at least 30 mol %.