Ferromagnetic shape memory compounds with a Heusler structure

Issue title: INABIO 2004

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Becker, S.^a | Brown, P.J.^b | Dennis, B.^a | Fröhlich, K.^a | Kanomata, T.^c | Matsumoto, M.^d | Neumann, K.-U.^{a; *} | Ouladdiaf, B.^b | Rasch, J.^a | Steinke, N.^a | Stephens, T.^a | Unverdi, O.^a | Ziebeck, K.R.A.^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Physics, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK | [b] Institute Laue-Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble, France | [c] Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku Gakuin University, Tagajo, Miyagi 985-8537, Japan | [d] Institut for Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The martensitic phase transition in Ni_2MnGa related alloys is investigated. The stability of the low temperature phase is assessed by a structural investigation of a cold worked sample. The stability of the low temperature martensitic phase with respect to internal strains is determined. It is argued that the experimental observations are consistent with an electronic mechanism being responsible for causing the martensitic phase transition. Alloying experiments with partial substitution of Ga by either In or Sn show a stronger dependence of the martensitic phase transition on the number of conduction electrons than on the size of atoms or variations of their distances. These experimental findings are consistent with band structure calculations and changes brought about by atomic disorder.

DOI: 10.3233/JAE-2005-678

Journal: International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, vol. 21, no. 3-4, pp. 145-150, 2005