Figure 1

(Color online) The x-ray reflectivity of the sample: observed (엯) and calculated (solid curve) from the model structure (Fig. 2).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Left: The chemical/nuclear model structure showing the chemical layers, their thickness $\left(\Delta \right)$ and interface roughness $\left(\sigma \right)$. The real (solid curve) and imaginary (dashed) components of the x-ray scattering length density are shown. Right: The scattering model is shown.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Ferromagnetic hysteresis loops of the sample. The letters indicate the values of $H_E$ and $H_A$ corresponding to the neutron reflectivities in Fig. 4.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

(Color online) Upper panel: Observed (엯) and calculated (solid curves) neutron reflectivities where each pair is labeled (a)–(d) according to the combinations of $H_E$ and $H_A$ corresponding to the conditions shown in Fig. 3 and those presented in the table of ${\chi }_{\nu }^2$ (inset). Error bars are shown as black bars (for most data points much smaller than the symbols). Lower panel: The reflectivities times $Q^4$ are plotted versus $Q$. The solid curves are the reflectivities obtained from the magnetization depth profiles shown in Figs. 6, 7. The dashed curves are the reflectivities calculated for a model having the pinned interfacial magnetization opposite to the directions shown in Fig. 8. Data are shifted for clarity.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 5

(Color online) Plot showing quasiperiodic variation of ${\zeta }^2\left(Q\right)$ (open symbols) obtained from a comparison of the reflectivities taken for $H_A=\pm 7\mathrm{kOe}$ and $H_E=-2.2\mathrm{kOe}$ and spin-down incident neutron beam polarization. These reflectivities times $Q^4$ are shown as the closed symbols.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 6

(Color online) Net magnetization depth profiles for $H_A=+7\mathrm{kOe}$ (blue curve) and $H_A=-7\mathrm{kOe}$ (red curve) and (a) $H_E=-2.2\mathrm{kOe}$ and (b) $H_E=+2.2\mathrm{kOe}$. The pinned components of the magnetization depth profiles are shown as the dashed purple and orange curves and in greater detail in Fig. 7a.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 7

(Color online) (a) Pinned and (b) unpinned magnetization depth profiles are shown for the cases of $H_E=-2.2\mathrm{kOe}$ (dashed curve) and $H_E=+2.2\mathrm{kOe}$ (solid curve). The short-dashed curve represents the product of the depth profile of the fraction of Co atoms $F_{\mathrm{Co}}$ and $M_{\mathrm{Co}}$. The vertical lines are located at the centers of the $\mathrm{Al}∕\mathrm{Co}$ and $\mathrm{Co}∕\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{F}}_2$ chemical interfaces.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 8

(Color online) Schematic diagrams showing the configurations of the pinned and unpinned magnetization depth profiles obtained from Figs 6, 7 corresponding to-$-H_E$ (upper panel) and $+H_E$ (lower panel). $H_{\mathit{FC}}$ was applied parallel to $+\mid H_A\mid$. To the right of each of magnetization-depth-profile schematic is the exchange bias model showing the orientations of FM (Co) moments (blue arrows) and uncompensated AF (Fe) moments (black arrows) whose net moments yield the magnetization shown to the left. AF moments are identified as pinned or unpinned by the letters “p” and “u,” respectively. FM moments that are coupled to pinned AF moments are effectively pinned.Reuse & Permissions