L1

1. A stacked-film structure, comprising:

a crystalline silicon substrate;

at least one underlayer formed on the substrate; and

an L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer formed on the at least one underlayer, the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and having:

an Mn content in a range of about 50% to about 58%;

a thickness less than about 50 nm;

a saturation magnetization of about 100 emu/cm 3 to about 600 emu/cm 3 ; and

a magnetocrystalline anisotropy of at least 1×10 6 erg/cm 3 ;

wherein the at least one underlayer includes an interface layer that interfaces with the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer, wherein the interface layer comprises at least one of an MgO layer and a TiN layer.

2. The stacked-film structure according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

3. The stacked-film structure according to claim 2 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

4. The stacked-film structure according to claim 1 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

5. The stacked-film structure according to claim 4 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

6. The stacked-film structure according to claim 1 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

7. The stacked-film structure according to claim 1 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.

8. A hard-disk-drive device comprising at least one platter rotatably mounted on a spindle, the at least one platter comprising a magnetic recording medium comprising the stacked-film structure according to claim 1 .

9. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

10. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 9 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

11. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 8 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

12. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 11 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

13. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 8 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

14. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 8 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.

15. A magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure, comprising:

a crystalline silicon substrate;

a first electrode/underlayer formed on the substrate;

a first magnetic layer formed on the first electrode/underlayer;

a second magnetic layer;

a tunnel barrier formed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a second electrode layer formed on the second magnetic layer;

wherein as least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer comprises an L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and having:

an Mn content in a range of about 50% to about 58%;

a thickness less than about 50 nm;

a saturation magnetization of about 100 emu/cm 3 to about 600 emu/cm 3 ; and

a magnetocrystalline anisotropy of at least 1×10 6 erg/cm 3 ;

wherein at least one of the first electrode/underlayer and the second electrode layer includes an interface layer that interfaces with the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer, wherein the interface layer comprises at least one of an MgO layer and a TiN layer.

16. A computing device comprising MTJ-based circuitry having the MTJ structure of claim 15 .

17. The computing device according to claim 16 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

18. The computing device according to claim 17 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

19. The computing device according to claim 16 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

20. The computing device according to claim 19 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

21. The computing device according to claim 16 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

22. The computing device according to claim 16 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.

23. A solid-state memory device, comprising spin-transfer-torque (STT) memory circuitry having the MTJ structure of claim 15 .

24. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the STT memory circuitry has a Gilbert damping parameter of less than 0.01.

25. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the STT memory circuitry has a thermal stability, K u V in a range of 10 k B T to 60 k B T.

26. The solid-state memory device according to claim 25 , wherein the STT memory circuitry has a thermal stability, K u V of at least 40 k B T.

27. The solid-state memory device according to claim 25 , wherein the STT memory circuitry has a critical switching current density of no more than 10 7 A/cm 2 .

28. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

29. The solid-state memory device according to claim 28 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

30. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

31. The solid-state memory device according to claim 30 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

32. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

33. The solid-state memory device according to claim 23 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.

34. A hard-disk-drive device, comprising:

at least one platter rotatably mounted on a spindle; and

an actuator arm pivotably moved by an actuator, the actuator arm comprising at least one read/write head disposed proximate the at least one platter, the read/write head having the MTJ structure according to claim 15 .

35. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 34 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

36. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 35 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

37. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 34 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

38. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 37 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

39. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 34 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

40. The hard-disk-drive device according to claim 34 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.

41. The MTJ structure according to claim 15 , wherein the thickness is less than about 10 nm.

42. The MTJ structure according to claim 41 , wherein the thickness is less than about 5 nm.

43. The MTJ structure according to claim 15 , wherein the interface layer having an a-axis lattice constant in a range of about 3.8 Å to about 4.6 Å.

44. The MTJ structure according to claim 43 , wherein the interface layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a Ta layer, a Cr layer, a CrRu layer, and a (Mg 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O layer.

45. The MTJ structure according to claim 15 , wherein the Mn content is in a range of about 52% to about 56%.

46. The MTJ structure according to claim 15 , wherein the L1 0 -ordered MnAl layer has a coercivity in a range of 6 kOe to 40 kOe.