Giant magnetic-field-induced strains in polycrystalline Ni–Mn–Ga foams

Abstract

The magnetic shape-memory alloy Ni-Mn-Ga shows, in monocrystalline form, a reversible magnetic-field-induced strain (MFIS) up to 10%. This strain, which is produced by twin boundaries moving solely by internal stresses generated by magnetic anisotropy energy, can be used in actuators, sensors and energy-harvesting devices. Compared with monocrystalline Ni-Mn-Ga, fine-grained Ni-Mn-Ga is much easier to process but shows near-zero MFIS because twin boundary motion is inhibited by constraints imposed by grain boundaries. Recently, we showed that partial removal of these constraints, by introducing pores with sizes similar to grains, resulted in MFIS values of 0.12% in polycrystalline Ni-Mn-Ga foams, close to those of the best commercial magnetostrictive materials. Here, we demonstrate that introducing pores smaller than the grain size further reduces constraints and markedly increases MFIS to 2.0-8.7%. These strains, which remain stable over >200,000 cycles, are much larger than those of any polycrystalline, active material.

Transition from many domain to single domain martensite morphology in small-scale shape memory alloys

“…Similarly, for Fe-Ni powders subjected to quenching through the transformation temperature, the probability of martensite formation decreases with decreasing particle diameter in the micron range [12]. Other properties, though, are enhanced in small scale samples such as in Ni-Mn-Ga where the magnetic field-induced strain increases dramatically in highly porous foams [13].…”

Stable magnetostructural coupling with tunable magnetoresponsive effects in hexagonal ferromagnets

“…These effects are of interest for many potential technological applications like magnetic actuators 13,14 , sensors 15 , energy-harvesting devices 16 and solid-state magnetic refrigeration 17 . In these functionalities, the magnetostructural coupling between the structural and the magnetic transition has an essential role.…”

Collective Modes and Structural Modulation in Ni-Mn-Ga(Co) Martensite Thin Films Probed by Femtosecond Spectroscopy and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

“…DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.076402 PACS numbers: 71.45.Lr, 78.47.-p, 81.30.Kf, 81.70.Fy Magnetic shape memory alloys present a new type of multifunctional materials, which display strong coupling between the magnetic and structural degrees of freedom. The ferromagnetic Ni-Mn-Ga alloy serves as a prototype system, displaying a giant 12% magnetic-field-induced strain in its low-temperature (T) martensitic phase (M phase) [1,2]. Since in Ni-Mn-Ga the M-phase transition can be tuned far above the room temperature by changing stoichiometry or doping [3,4], this alloy is of special technological interest [1,2,5].…”

“…The ferromagnetic Ni-Mn-Ga alloy serves as a prototype system, displaying a giant 12% magnetic-field-induced strain in its low-temperature (T) martensitic phase (M phase) [1,2]. Since in Ni-Mn-Ga the M-phase transition can be tuned far above the room temperature by changing stoichiometry or doping [3,4], this alloy is of special technological interest [1,2,5].The rich phase diagram of Ni 2þxþy Mn 1−x Ga 1−y is characterized by a complex sequence of phase transitions. In its high-T (austenite) phase, Ni-Mn-Ga has a cubic L2 1 Heusler structure.…”