To provide a dye to be used for an optical recording medium excellent in both high speed recording characteristics and reproduction durability.
A dye having an azo compound represented by the following formula coordinated to a metal ion:
wherein the ring A represents a nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring containing a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom; X represents C—R1R2, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or N—R3, wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 which are independent of one another, represents a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched alkyl group, an aralkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a linear or branched alkenyl group, an aryl group or an acyl group represented by —COR4, wherein R4 is a hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group which may be substituted; and the benzene ring B represents a benzene ring which may have a substituent(s), provided that adjacent substituents in the benzene ring B may be mutually bonded to form a ring.