Provided are a magnetoresistance effect element and a magnetic memory having a shape magnetic anisotropy and using a recording layer having an anti-parallel coupling.
A first magnetic layer (3) and a second magnetic layer (5) of the magnetoresistance effect element include a ferromagnetic substance, have a magnetization direction variable to the direction perpendicular to a film surface and are magnetically coupled in an anti-parallel direction, and a junction size D (nm), which is a length of the longest straight line on an end face perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first magnetic layer (3) and the second magnetic layer (5), a film thickness t1 (nm) of the first magnetic layer (3), and a film thickness t2 (nm) of the second magnetic layer (5) satisfy relationships D