A stack includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer having a columnar structure, and an interlayer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. The columnar structure includes magnetic grains separated by a crystalline segregant or a combination of crystalline and amorphous segregants.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium including a magnetic recording layer having more excellent magnetic properties and including an L1.sub.0 type ordered alloy. One constitutional example of the magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a first seed layer comprising ZnO, a second seed layer comprising MgO, and a magnetic recording layer comprising an ordered alloy, in this order.

A magnetic storage medium is formed of magnetic nanoparticles that are encapsulated within nanotubes (e.g., carbon nanotubes).

According to one embodiment, a magnetic medium includes a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer positioned above the substrate, the magnetic recording layer including an ordered alloy having a L1.sub.0-type structure, where the ordered alloy comprises a plurality of ferromagnetic crystal grains surrounded by non-magnetic grain boundaries, and where the ordered alloy comprises Fe, Ni and Pt.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium in which the surface roughness of the magnetic recording layer can be reduced without deterioration of the magnetic properties of the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording medium of the present invention includes a substrate, a seed layer on the substrate, and a magnetic recording layer on the seed layer, wherein the seed layer contains Mn, Cr, and O, and has a spinel structure.

FePt-based heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media comprising a thick granular FePt:C magnetic recording layer capable of maintaining a single layer film having desirable magnetic properties. According to one embodiment, the thick granular FePt:C magnetic recording layer comprises a plurality of carbon doped FePt alloy columnar grains, where the plurality of carbon doped FePt alloy columnar grains comprise a carbon gradient along the thickness of the hard magnetic recording layer.