A magnetic recording medium having a substrate, an interlayer and a magnetic layer, the interlayer having at least a first intermediary layer, a second intermediary layer and a third intermediary layer, wherein the first intermediary layer or the third intermediary layer is non-magnetic or magnetic and the second intermediary layer has a hexagonal close pack crystal structure and a property of providing RKKY coupling between the first intermediary layer and the third intermediary layer when the first intermediary layer and the second intermediary layer are magnetic layers is disclosed.