In a vacuum, recording is conducted by exposing a solid surface to a neutral particle beam or an ion beam modulated with a recording signal and converged, thereby to locally develop a change in composition on the solid surface. Then, reproducing is conducted by exposing said solid surface to an electron beam, an ion beam or a neutral particle beam which has been converged, thereby to emit electrons from the solid surface, and detecting the emitted electrons to read out the change in composition. If necessary, erasing is conducted by exposing the solid surface to the same beam as used in reproducing, thereby to eliminate the change in composition.