The Role of Ni-Mn Hybridization on the Martensitic Phase Transitions in Mn-rich Heusler Alloys

Authors

Mahmud Khan, University of Alberta
J. Jung, University of Alberta
S. S. Stoyko, University of Alberta
Arthur Mar, University of Alberta
Abdiel Quetz, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Tampas Samanta, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Igor Dubenko, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Naushad Ali, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Shane Stadler, Louisiana State University
K. H. Chow, University of Alberta

Comments

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Published in Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 100 No. 17 (2012) at doi: 10.1063/1.4705422

Abstract

Room temperature x-ray diffraction, dc magnetization, and ac susceptibility measurements have been performed on a series of Mn rich Ni₅₀Mn_37-xCr_xSb₁₃ and Ni_50+xMn_37-xSb₁₃ Heusler alloys. Depending on the value of x, the room temperature crystal structures of the samples are either L2₁ cubic or orthorhombic. It is a commonly accepted idea that the martensitic transition temperatures in Ni-Mn-Z (Z = Ga, In, Sb, Sn) based Heusler alloys decrease (increase) with decreasing (increasing) valence electron concentration, e/a. However, the present work shows that regardless of the change in e/a, the martensitic transition temperature (T_M) decreases with increasing Cr or Ni concentration. These results support the model where, in the case of Mn rich Heusler alloys, it is the hybridization between the Ni atoms and the Mn atoms in the Z sites that plays the dominant role in driving the martensitic transformation.

Recommended Citation

Khan, Mahmud, Jung, J., Stoyko, S. S., Mar, Arthur, Quetz, Abdiel, Samanta, Tampas, Dubenko, Igor, Ali, Naushad, Stadler, Shane and Chow, K. H. "The Role of Ni-Mn Hybridization on the Martensitic Phase Transitions in Mn-rich Heusler Alloys." (Apr 2012).