1. A magnetic recording medium comprising: a substrate; an underlayer supported by the substrate, the underlaying comprising first and second non-magnetic, chromium-based layers, at least one of the first and second chromium-based layers being a chromium alloy, the compositions of the first and second chromium-based layers being different, the lattice parameter of the underlayer being between the lattice parameters of the first and second chromium-based layers; and a magnetic layer deposited on the underlayer.