We report on the magnetization depth profile of a hybrid exchange-spring system in which a Co=Pd
multilayer with perpendicular anisotropy is coupled to a CoFeB thin film with in-plane anisotropy.
The competition between these two orthogonal anisotropies promotes a strong depth dependence of the
magnetization orientation. The angle of the magnetization vector is sensitive both to the strength of the
individual anisotropies and to the local exchange constant and is thus tunable by changing the thickness of
the CoFeB layer and by substituting Ni for Pd in one layer of the Co=Pd stack. The resulting magnetic
depth profiles are directly probed by element-specific x-ray magnetic circular dichroism of the Fe and Ni
layers located at different average depths. The experimental results are corroborated by micromagnetic
simulations.