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Title: Anomalous magnetic configuration of Mn{sub 2}NiAl ribbon and the role of hybridization in the martensitic transformation of Mn{sub 50}Ni{sub 50−x}Al{sub x} ribbons

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903750· OSTI ID:22395479
 [1]; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Physics, Hebei Advanced Thin Films Laboratory, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China)
  2. Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

The magnetic configuration of Mn{sub 2}NiAl ribbon has been investigated. In contrast to Ni{sub 2}MnAl, the compound Mn{sub 2}NiAl with considerable disorder does exhibit ferromagnetism and, due to exchange interaction competition, both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic moment orientations can coexist between nearest neighbor Mn atoms. This is unexpected in Heusler alloys. Regarding the mechanism of the martensitic transformation in Mn{sub 50}Ni{sub 50−x}Al{sub x}, it is found that increasing the Al content results in an unusual change in the lattice constant, a decrease of the transformation entropy change, and enhancement of the calculated electron localization. These results indicate that the p-d covalent hybridization between Mn (or Ni) and Al atoms gradually increases at the expense of the d-d hybridization between Ni and Mn atoms. This leads to an increased stability of the austenite phase and a decrease of the martensitic transformation temperature. For 11 ≤ x ≤ 14, Mn{sub 50}Ni{sub 50−x}Al{sub x} ferromagnetic shape memory alloys are obtained.

OSTI ID:
22395479
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 23; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English