Simple rules for the understanding of Heusler compounds

Giant magnetic-field-induced strain of about 9.5% was observed at ambient temperature in a magnetic field of less than 1 T in NiMnGa orthorhombic seven-layered martensitic phase. The strain proved to be caused by magnetic-field-controlled twin boundary motion. According to an analysis of x-ray diffraction data, the crystal structure of this phase is nearly orthorhombic, having lattice parameters a=0.619 nm, b=0.580 nm, and c=0.553 nm (in cubic parent phase coordinates) at ambient temperature. Seven-layer shuffling-type modulation along the (110)[110]p system was recorded. The results of mechanical tests and magnetic anisotropy property measurements are also reported.

Giant magnetic-field-induced strain in NiMnGa seven-layered martensitic phase

Field-induced strains of 6% are reported in ferromagnetic Ni–Mn–Ga martensites at room temperature. The strains are the result of twin boundary motion driven largely by the Zeeman energy difference across the twin boundary. The strain measured parallel to the applied magnetic field is negative in the sample/field geometry used here. The strain saturates in fields of order 400 kA/m and is blocked by a compressive stress of order 2 MPa applied orthogonal to the magnetic field. The strain versus field curves exhibit appreciable hysteresis associated with the motion of the twin boundaries. A simple model accounts quantitatively for the dependence of strain on magnetic field and external stress using as input parameters only measured quantities.

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1132&context=ameslab_pubs

6% magnetic-field-induced strain by twin-boundary motion in ferromagnetic Ni–Mn–Ga

The increasing understanding of the advantages offered by fish and insect-like locomotion is creating a demand for muscle-like materials capable of mimicking nature's mechanisms. Actuator materials that employ voltage, field, light, or temperature driven dimensional changes to produce forces and displacements are suggesting new approaches to propulsion and maneuverability. Fundamental properties of these new materials are presented, and examples of potential undersea applications are examined in order to assist those involved in device design and in actuator research to evaluate the current status and the developing potential of these artificial muscle technologies. Technologies described are based on newly explored materials developed over the past decade, and also on older materials whose properties are not widely known. The materials are dielectric elastomers, ferroelectric polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, thermal and ferroelectric shape memory alloys, ionic polymer/metal composites, conducting polymers, and carbon nanotubes. Relative merits and challenges associated with the artificial muscle technologies are elucidated in two case studies. A summary table provides a quick guide to all technologies that are discussed.

Artificial muscle technology: physical principles and naval prospects

Magnetic Heusler alloys which undergo a martensitic transition display interesting functional properties. In the present review, we survey the magnetocaloric effects of Ni-Mn-based Heusler alloys and discuss their relation with the magnetic shape-memory and magnetic superelasticity reported in these materials. We show that all these effects are a consequence of a strong coupling between structure and magnetism which enables a magnetic field to rearrange martensitic variants as well as to provide the possibility to induce the martensitic transition. These two features are respectively controlled by the magnetic anisotropy of the martensitic phase and by the difference in magnetic moments between the structural phases. The relevance of each of these contributions to the magnetocaloric properties is analysed.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/21/23/233201/pdf

Magnetocaloric effect and its relation to shape-memory properties in ferromagnetic Heusler alloys

Ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys have recently emerged as a new class of active materials showing very large magnetic-field-induced extensional strains. Recently, a single crystal of a tetragonally distorted Heusler alloy in the NiMnGa system has shown a 5% shear strain at room temperature in a field of 4 kOe. The magnetic and crystallographic aspects of the twin-boundary motion responsible for this effect are described. Ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys strain by virtue of the motion of the boundaries separating adjacent twin variants. The twin-boundary motion is driven by the Zeeman energy difference between the adjacent twins due to their nearly orthogonal magnetic easy axes and large magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The twin boundary constitutes a nearly 90° domain wall. Essentially, twin-boundary motion shorts out the more difficult magnetization rotation process. The field and stress dependence of the strain are reasonably well accounted for by minimization of a simple free energy expression includin...

H. Nembach

Papers

Phenomenology of giant magnetic-field-induced strain in ferromagnetic shape-memory materials (invited)