Magnetic measurements in Ni 50 Mn 50Àx In x alloys were performed in order to investigate the effect of the degree of order on the magnetic properties for specimens annealed at different temperatures. It was confirmed that Curie temperature, T C , and spontaneous magnetization, m , in as-quenched specimens with a low degree of order exhibited composition dependence of indium basically similar to those in as-annealed ones with a high degree of order reported in a previous paper. However, especially in the In-rich region of x > 25, both the T C and the m obtained from the as-quenched specimens were lower than those from the as-annealed specimens. Recently, an unusual type of magnetic shape memory alloy, which exhibits martensitic transformation from a ferromagnetic parent (P) phase to a paramagnetic martensite (M) phase, has been reported in NiMnIn-and NiMnSn-based Heusler alloys, the transformation mechanism beings completely different from that of conventional magnetic shape memory alloys.1) The martensitic transformation temperatures of these alloys are drastically decreased by application of a magnetic field and magnetic field-induced reverse transformation, which is a kind of metamagnetic transition, are observed below the martensitic reverse transformation starting temperature.2,3) Moreover, many interesting phenomena, such as the metamagnetic shape memory effect, 4,5) the inverse magnetocaloric effect, 2,6) the giant magnetoresistance effect 7,8) and the giant magnetothermal conductivity, 9) which are associated with the unique transformation, have been observed. Thus, these ferromagnetic shape memory alloys have received much attention as highperformance multiferroic materials. Details on the basic physical properties for NiMnZ Heusler alloys, including NiMnGa alloys, have recently been reviewed by Planes et al.
10)Very recently, the present authors have reported that in the Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 36:7 In 13:3 alloy, the order-disorder transformation temperature from B2 to L2 1 in the P phase, T B2/L2 1 t , is 896 K and the ordering transformation from the B2 phase can be suppressed by quenching from 923 K, that is, just above T B2/L2 1 t . 11) Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the martensitic and magnetic properties, such as Curie temperature, T C , martensitic transformation temperatures, and the crystal structure of the M phase, are considerably different depending on the degree of order of the P phase. On the other hand, the present authors have also reported that the T B2/L2 1 t for the Ni 50 Mn 50Àx In x alloys are located in the temperature region between 700 and 1100 K, which is comparable to that for the Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 36:7 In 13:3 alloy, as shown in Fig. 1. 12)It would be interesting to examine the effects of the degree of order on the magnetic properties in the Ni 50 Mn 50Àx In x ternary specimens annealed under different conditions. In the present study, the magnetic properties of the P phase obtained under different annealing temperatures were examined in NiMnIn alloys.Ni 50 Mn 50Àx In x (13 < x <...