Symmetry-breaking induced exchange bias in ferromagnetic Ni-Cu-Co and Ni-Fe-Co sandwiches grown on a vicinal Cu(001) surface

Ferromagnetic Ni-Cu-Co and Ni-Fe-Co sandwiches were grown epitaxially onto a vicinal Cu(001) substrate and investigated using magneto-optical Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism techniques. We find that the atomic steps of the vicinal surface break the magnetic reversal symmetry to induce an exchange bias in the Ni perpendicular magnetic hysteresis loop. The Ni exchange bias direction can be switched by changing the direction of the in-plane Co magnetization. In addition, the exchange bias can be tailored by changing the Cu or Fe spacer layer thickness.