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Most of the ferromagnetic shape memory (FSM) Heusler alloys, which are primarily studied in bulk form in the literature, exhibit p-d type hybridization. This study conducts a thorough multidirectional investigation of a strongly d-d hybridized quinary melt-spun annealed ribbon having the composition Ni35Mn34.5Co14Fe1Ti15.5 (NMCFT-1). This off-stoichiometric, polycrystalline FSM, fabricated using the melt-spin technique, exhibits a highly textured microstructure, double magnetic transitions and super-mechanical features mitigating brittleness. It crystallizes in a perfectly B2-type disorder austenite (Pm-3m, space group number 221) phase at room temperature. It has been hypothesized that geometric frustration is the causative factor for this disorder. Curie temperature of austenite phase ( T C A ) between paramagnetic → ferromagnetic state is found to be ∼364.57 K, whereas martensite transformation temperature from weak magnetic martensite state to ferromagnetic austenite state is ∼174.74 K. Calculated moments (effective moment, μ eff = 5.12 μ B ; low-temperature saturation moment, μ S (or M S (0) ) = 5.08 μ B ) yield a Rhodes–Wohlfarth ratio of ∼1, indicating the existence of the non-itinerant nature of 3d electrons, whereas the ferromagnetism and the linear or non-linear dependency of M s 2 (T ) on T 2 around T C A indicates the presence of long-range Rudermann–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida-type interaction. More importantly, the maximum magnetic entropy change ( Δ S m ) obtained across the first-order magneto-structural transition and second-order magnetic transition are +18.2 J·kg−1K−1 at 6 T and −8.8 J·kg−1K−1 at 2 T, respectively, while a very high working temperature span (Δ T FWHM) of 28.561 K and 6.922 K are found for the same condition. The sample exhibits a significant relative cooling power of 402.98 J·kg−1 at a magnetic field of 6 T across the FOMT and 60.19 J·kg−1 at a 2 T field across the SOMT, respectively, along with excellent mechanical features such as a Vickers hardness (HV) of 411.80 HV (∼4.04 GPa). Meanwhile, Chen's super hard model fails to predict the ribbon's HV value, but Miao's hard model does, indicating that the ribbon is hard but not super hard. It also paves the way for additional investigation into innovative FSMs like this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report on the detailed atomic ordering, magnetic and electrical properties of the Heusler alloy Mn2CoAl, studied via combined experimental methods and a theoretical calculation approach. Our studies confirm the Hg2CuTi-type crystal structure of Mn2CoAl with 25% anti-site disorder between Mn (B:1/4,1/4,1/4) and Co(C:1/2,1/2,1/2) sites. Neutron powder diffraction measurements identify the antiparallel spin couplings between Mn:A↓ and Mn:B↑, Co:C↑, resulting in a ferrimagnetic structure with a net magnetic moment of ∼1.6 μ B at room temperature. In terms of the electronic calculations, we find that the anti-site atoms will contribute large densities of states at the Fermi level, thus destroying the spin gapless band structure and making Mn2CoAl a normal ferrimagnetic metal. This report is intended to establish a basic understanding of the structure and physical properties of Mn2CoAl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the ferromagnetic shape memory (FSM) Heusler alloys, which are primarily studied in bulk form in the literature, exhibit p-d type hybridization. This study conducts a thorough multidirectional investigation of a strongly d-d hybridized quinary melt-spun annealed ribbon having the composition Ni35Mn34.5Co14Fe1Ti15.5 (NMCFT-1). This off-stoichiometric, polycrystalline FSM, fabricated using the melt-spin technique, exhibits a highly textured microstructure, double magnetic transitions and super-mechanical features mitigating brittleness. It crystallizes in a perfectly B2-type disorder austenite (Pm-3m, space group number 221) phase at room temperature. It has been hypothesized that geometric frustration is the causative factor for this disorder. Curie temperature of austenite phase ( T C A ) between paramagnetic → ferromagnetic state is found to be ∼364.57 K, whereas martensite transformation temperature from weak magnetic martensite state to ferromagnetic austenite state is ∼174.74 K. Calculated moments (effective moment, μ eff = 5.12 μ B ; low-temperature saturation moment, μ S (or M S (0) ) = 5.08 μ B ) yield a Rhodes–Wohlfarth ratio of ∼1, indicating the existence of the non-itinerant nature of 3d electrons, whereas the ferromagnetism and the linear or non-linear dependency of M s 2 (T ) on T 2 around T C A indicates the presence of long-range Rudermann–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida-type interaction. More importantly, the maximum magnetic entropy change ( Δ S m ) obtained across the first-order magneto-structural transition and second-order magnetic transition are +18.2 J·kg−1K−1 at 6 T and −8.8 J·kg−1K−1 at 2 T, respectively, while a very high working temperature span (Δ T FWHM) of 28.561 K and 6.922 K are found for the same condition. The sample exhibits a significant relative cooling power of 402.98 J·kg−1 at a magnetic field of 6 T across the FOMT and 60.19 J·kg−1 at a 2 T field across the SOMT, respectively, along with excellent mechanical features such as a Vickers hardness (HV) of 411.80 HV (∼4.04 GPa). Meanwhile, Chen's super hard model fails to predict the ribbon's HV value, but Miao's hard model does, indicating that the ribbon is hard but not super hard. It also paves the way for additional investigation into innovative FSMs like this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the presence of electron-spin-phonon interactions in half-metallic ferromagnetic Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO) double perovskite thin films using temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy. A series of SFMO thin films have been prepared on LaAlO3 (001) single-crystal substrate using the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique. These depositions have been made in different gas-conditions such as in vacuum, and under nitrogen and oxygen gas pressures. At room temperature, Raman spectra manifest a Fano feature which indicates the presence of electron-phonon coupling in the films. The electron-phonon coupling strength further changes with a change in deposition conditions. Magnetization results show that the SFMO film grown in vacuum has the highest saturation magnetization which suggests better cation ordering as compared to the other films. For enhanced understanding, Raman spectra were recorded at varied temperatures and the data were analyzed by theoretical model fittings. A parameter quantifying temperature-dependent anharmonic nature of phonons has been derived using Balkanski model fits. This parameter shows a drastic deviation in the vicinity of Curie temperatures, manifesting a spin-phonon coupling in SFMO films. We further show that the spin-phonon coupling strengthens with improved Fe–Mo ordering. Any experimental observation of spin-phonon coupling has not been reported for SFMO systems till date. The magnetization data corroborate well with these observations made by Raman measurements. Our results of Raman spectroscopy, magnetization and resistivity collectively suggest that the SFMO films exhibit electron-spin-phonon interactions, which are influenced by the cation ordering. We also devised out the method of relating the anharmonic nature of Raman modes with the degree of Fe–Mo ordering and spin-phonon coupling in double-perovskite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present results of a comprehensive computational and experimental study of CoFeVAl and CoFeV0.5Mn0.5Al Heusler alloys. It is shown that while CoFeVAl exhibits a fairly large degree of spin polarization, this material is not half-metallic due to the presence of the vanadium spin-down states at the Fermi level. However, replacing 50% of vanadium with manganese results in a nearly half-metallic transition, largely due to the shift of the Fermi level towards occupied states. Moreover, the half-metallicity of CoFeV0.5Mn0.5Al is rather robust in a wide range of considered mechanical strain and under experimentally observed B2-type atomic disorder, thus making this alloy potentially suitable for practical spintronic applications. Both considered alloys exhibit ferromagnetic alignment at larger lattice constants, aside from a relatively small magnetic moment of vanadium which is anti-aligned with the magnetic moments of Co, Fe and Mn. We have synthesized both CoFeVAl and CoFeV0.5Mn0.5Al alloys in cubic structure with some structural disorder using arc melting and annealing. The structural and magnetic properties of the synthesized CoFeV0.5Mn0.5Al alloy are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations but vary slightly from the parent compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heusler alloy has been widely utilized in magnetoresistive sensors to enhance the device performance. In this work, we theoretically investigate the performance of Heusler-alloy-based magnetoresistive sensors with a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) layer. The atomistic model combined with the spin accumulation model will be used in this work. The former is used to construct the reader stack and investigate the magnetization dynamics in the system. The latter is employed to describe the spin transport behavior at any position of the structure. We first perform simulations of the exchange bias (EB) phenomenon in the IrMn/ C o 2 F e S i (CFS) system providing a high EB field. Then, a realistic reader stack of IrMn/CFS/Ru/CFS/Ag/CFS is constructed via an atomistic model. Subsequently, the resistance–area product (RA) and magnetoresistance (MR) ratio of the reader can be calculated by using the spin accumulation model. As a result of the spin transport behavior in the Heusler-alloy-based reader stack including SAF structure at 0 K, an enhancement of the MR ratio up to 120 % and RA < 40 m Ω ⋅ μ m 2 can be observed. This study demonstrates the important role of the Heusler alloy and SAF layer in the development of magnetoresistive sensors for the application of readers in hard disk drives with an areal density beyond 2 Tb in−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni50 − x Mn37 + x Sb13 (NMS (x = 4–6)) melt-spun Heusler ribbon was fabricated by employing the arc melting technique. Also, the electrical, structural, and magnetic characteristics of melt-spun alloy ribbons with chemically increased Mn (a decrease in Ni concentration) content are also being investigated. Further, it has been noticed that, the Curie temperatures of the austenitic (T CA) phase and the martensitic phase transition temperature (T M) are both shifted toward higher temperatures, by increasing the amount of Mn under 500 Oe (0.05 T) of applied magnetic fields. The discontinuity of field cooling (FC) and zero field cooling (ZFC) curves reveals the irreversibility of magnetization caused by inhomogeneous magnetic anisotropy lower the exchange bias (EB) (blocking bias) temperature. Furthermore, the disappearance of exchange bias (EB) in ribbon alloys with increasing temperature is supported by the fact that coercivity (H C) gradually increases with temperature and increases at 40 K, and then decreases with temperature. Additionally, a −Δ S Max of −5.21 Jkg−1·K−1 for a ribbon with x = 6 is acquired at 312 K with a 50 kOe (5 T) change in the applied magnetic field. Increases in Mn content result in −Δ S M values in NMS alloy ribbons of −4.3, −4.7, and −5.2 Jkg−1·K−1 and the same trend is observed in negative magneto-resistance ((−MR) (%)) values of −9%, −11%, and −14% for x = 4–6, respectively. Here, the super zone boundary that is close to the Fermi surface is responsible for the change in −MR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by potential application prospects of spintronics and valleytronics, a novel heterobilayer Janus structure is designed by replacing the chalcogenide atomic layers in the original bilayer MoS2. Based on first-principles calculations, it is found that the SMoS/SeMoS structure exhibits a direct band-gap semiconductor and a typical type-II band alignment with longer carrier lifetime. The transition metal (TM) atom represented by V/Cr/Mn can be stably adsorbed on the heterobilayer Janus SMoS/SeMoS sheet and effectively introduce magnetic moments (m). The calculation results demonstrate that the most stable adsorption site of the TM atom is CX(A), and the TM (V/Cr/Mn) adatom modified SMoS/SeMoS system is converted into metal (V-) or half-metal (Cr/Mn-), respectively. Under the coupling of different indirect exchange interactions, the structure exhibits stable intrinsic anti-ferromagnetic interactions for V-SMoS/SeMoS and ferromagnetic ground state for Cr/Mn-SMoS/SeMoS, respectively, and the magnetic transition temperature (T c) reaches a high temperature or even room temperature. Moreover, the robust out-of-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy ensures stable long-range magnetic order. Specifically, the combination of spin injection and strong spin–orbit coupling interaction effectively breaks the time-reversal symmetry, which leads to valley polarization of the system. Based on this, the biaxial strain can effectively regulate the electronic structure, magnetic properties and valley polarization of TM-SMoS/SeMoS nanosheets with double breaking of spatial-inversion and time-reversal symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-collinear antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Mn3X (X = Ga, Ge, Sn) system has attracted a lot of attentions owing to its robust anomalous Hall effect (AHE), large spin Hall angle and small net magnetization at room temperature. The high spin-charge interconversion efficiency makes it a super candidate in topological antiferromagnetic spintronic devices, which could facilitate ultra-fast operation of high-density devices with low energy consumption. In this work, we have realized to obtain different chiral spin structures in Heusler alloy Mn3Ge thin films, which originate from different crystalline orientations. The high-quality (0002)- and (20 2 ¯ 0)-oriented single phase hexagonal Mn3Ge films are achieved by controllable growth, annealing process and ion implantation. The various magnetic properties and AHE behaviors are observed along a and c crystal axes, equivalent to magnetic field in and out of the inverse triangular spin plane. The observation demonstrates the manipulation of crystal structure accompanied with chiral spin order in a non-collinear antiferromagnetic Mn3Ge film, which is induced by energy conversion and defect introduction. The in situ thermal treatment induces crystal phase rotation up to 90° and robust AHE modulation, which is significantly important and highly desirable for flexible spin memory device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the microscopic origin of strain-mediated changes in the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of the Co2FeSi, Co2MnSi, and Fe3Si Heusler alloys from the viewpoint of first-principles electron theory. Both Co2FeSi and Co2MnSi have similar anisotropy changes upon induced strain within the (001) plane, where the quadrupole moment due to Co minority-spin states dominates the anisotropy modulation, and, thus, giant magnetoelectric couplings in multiferroic heterointerfaces containing these compounds. In contrast, the strain-induced anisotropy modulation in Fe3Si has mixed contributing factors not limited to the anisotropy term of the orbital magnetic moment and the quadrupole term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the synthesis of Ni _50 Mn _35 Sn _15 (NMS) Heusler alloys using arc melting and laser-induced melting techniques, focusing on the influence of these methods on the alloys’ structural and magnetocaloric properties. The research further examined the impact of post-synthesis treatments, including annealing and mechanical grinding, as well as the stability of these alloys under repeated magnetization cycles. The results demonstrated that laser-induced melting significantly enhanced the magnetocaloric performance of NMS alloys compared to arc melting. This method produced alloys with finer microstructures, leading to improved performance and stability in magnetocaloric applications. The study emphasized the importance of synthesis methods in developing efficient magnetocaloric materials and highlights their potential to advance sustainable cooling technologies.

In this study, we have studied the quaternary Heusler alloys with the formula LiXNiSb (X = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) to investigate the effect of alkaline earth elements at the X site. We explored the structural, lattice dynamics, electronic, and magnetic properties by employing the density functional theory framework in FPLAPW formalism. All the studied alloys are nonmagnetic with no magnetic moment on the Ni atom. LiBeNiSb and LiBaNiSb are dynamically unstable and exhibit imaginary phonon frequencies. The lattice constant of the studied alloys systematically increases with the size of the alkaline earth element, whereas the bulk modulus decreases. Among the stable alloys, LiMgNiSb is metallic, whereas LiCaNiSb and LiSrNiSb are semiconducting with band gap values of 0.43 and 0.34 eV, respectively. The lattice specific heat and optical properties of the semiconducting alloys have also been computed. Our results demonstrate that the studied LiXNiSb alloys can be good candidates for photovoltaic applications.

Anomalous and topological Hall effect (THE) are the fascinating electronic transport properties in condensed matter physics and received tremendous interest in the field of spintronics. Here, we report the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) and THE in the bulk Ni2MnGa magnetic shape memory alloy. The magnetization measurement reveals the premartensite, martensite and magnetic phase transitions. A detailed analysis of AHC reveals that the intrinsic Berry phase mechanism dominates over skew scattering and side jump in all the structural phases of Ni2MnGa. Further, an additional contribution in the Hall resistivity is observed as THE. The magnitude of the THE and its temperature independent behavior indicates that the THE arises due to the real space Berry curvature induced by topologically protected magnetic skyrmion textures in the martensite and premartensite phases of Ni2MnGa. The larger magnetic field is required to vanish the topological Hall resistivity in the martensite phase in comparison to the premartensite phase, which manifests the more stable skyrmion textures in the martensite phase. The present findings open a new direction in the field of functional materials, which hosts skyrmion, exhibits anomalous transport and magnetic shape memory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near stoichiometric Co2FeSn Heusler alloy films with a highly ordered L21 structure and mean grain size of 23 ± 1 nm have been prepared on a polycrystalline copper substrate for the first time by electrodeposition route. Deposition potential −4.0 V yielded the stoichiometric alloy composition in the potentiostatic mode. The highly disordered as-deposited alloy film crystallized into the ordered stable Heusler alloy structure upon heat treatment under vacuum. The heat-treated film exhibited the highest magnetic moment (5.18 ± 0.04 μB/f.u. at 5 K) and Curie temperature (1123 K) ever achieved in this alloy in any form. The very high value of Keff (∼106 erg c.c.−1) obtained for this alloy makes this alloy promising for high-density magnetic recording application. Ab initio studies using GGA + U approach provide information on the minority gap near the Fermi level and its tunability as a function of the electron correlation factor represented by the Hubbard parameter U. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the data storage in next-generation hard disk drives requires a reduction in the physical dimensions of read sensors. Tunneling magnetoresistance heads yield high magnetoresistance (MR) ratio but with a high resistance-area product (RA) that is suboptimal for devices. Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) head using different materials is an alternative way to improve reader performance with high MR ratio and low RA. In this paper, we theoretically study the effect of material properties and the layer thickness on RA and MR ratio in a trilayer system via an atomistic model combined with the spin transport model. The GMR stack can be constructed by the atomistic model and the RA and MR ratio can be directly calculated by considering the spin accumulation and spin current from the spin transport model. It is found that the spin valve using the Heusler alloy electrode with high spin polarization exhibits a high MR ratio and RA of 64 which is better than the spin valves using conventional ferromagnets such as Co, NiFe and CoFe. Moreover, we consider the thickness dependence of the change of RA (). Increasing the free layer thickness yields the increase in and MR ratio because of the enhancement of the bulk spin scattering. Additionally, the results show that the depends on the spin diffusion length of the nonmagnetic materials (). The increases from 3 up to 10 when increases from 35 to 1200 nm. This investigation shows the possibility for read head design of HDDs with areal density beyond 2 Tb in−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of wheel speeds and high-pressure hydrogen treatment on phase evolution, microstructure, and magnetocaloric properties in La0.5Pr0.5Fe11.4Si1.6 melt-spun ribbons are studied in this work. The results reveal that the increase of wheel speed is beneficial to the formation of cubic NaZn13-type phase and the grain refinement. The optimized wheel speed for microstructural and magnetocaloric properties is 30 m/s. The largest entropy change of 18.1 J/kg⋅K at 190 K under a magnetic field change of 0 T–5 T is obtained in La0.5Pr0.5Fe11.4Si1.6 ribbons melt-spun at 30 m/s. After a high-pressure hydrogen treatment of 50 MPa, the Curie temperature of the ribbons prepared at 30 m/s is adjusted to about 314 K and the large –ΔSM of 17.9 J/kg⋅K under a magnetic field change of 0 T–5 T is achieved at room temperature with almost none hysteresis loss. The small thermal and magnetic hysteresis and the large –ΔSM make the La0.5Pr0.5Fe11.4Si1.6 hydride ribbons appropriate for magnetic refrigerant applications around room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe doping in Ni2Mn1.5In0.5 results in suppression of the martensitic phase via two contrasting routes. In Ni2Mn1.5 − xFexIn0.5, the martensitic phase is converted to a strain glassy phase, while in Ni2 − yFeyMn1.5In0.5, a cubic ferromagnetic phase results at the expense of the martensite. Careful studies of magnetic and structural properties reveal the presence of the impurity γ-(Fe,Ni) phase as the reason for the emergence of non-ergodic strain glassy phase when Fe is sought to be doped at Y/Z (Mn) sites of X2YZ Heusler alloy. Whereas attempts to dope Fe in the X (Ni) sublattice result in an A2 type antisite disorder that promotes a ferromagnetic ground state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetocaloric materials with first-order phase transition are potential refrigerant media for solid state refrigeration. In this work, the Ni45Co5Mn35In15 alloy possesses a representative first-order martensitic transition (MT), which is found to be sensitive to both magnetic field and isostatic pressure with rates of ∼−6.4 K T−1 and ∼4.24 K kbar−1. Such an active response to multi-stimuli derives from the strong coupling of the spin and the lattice. A low magnetic field of 1 T can drive nearly 100% of the total entropy change corresponding to the whole transformation in this alloy. However, the prominent magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is almost irreversible owing to the intrinsic hysteresis of the first-order phase transition. By virtue of the strong magnetostructural coupling during the MT, a hydrostatic pressure assisted magnetic field loading loop has been constructed for eliminating the hysteresis and to a large extent improve the reversibility of the MCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural phase transformation in a non-stoichiometric shape memory Fe42.8Mn27.6Ga29.6 Heusler glass-coated microwire was experimentally observed using indirect magnetic, permeability, and electrical resistance measurements. While the temperature dependence of magnetization revealed hysteresis of magnetization during the heating and cooling process, magnetic hysteresis loops point to the change in the direction of the easy magnetization axis of the low- and high-temperature phase. Additionally, the unusual behavior of the permeability and electrical resistance measurements are in good agreement with the magnetic measurements. The x-ray diffraction profile measured at room temperature revealed the coexistence of a high-temperature L21 phase (a = 5.88 Ă...) and low-temperature phase with the L12 structure (a = 3.71 Ă...) and can be considered as another proof of the shape memory effect that is expected in the Feâ€"Mnâ€"Ga-based Heusler alloys. In the presented glass-coated microwire, it is not only possible to shift the transformation temperature with the external magnetic field, but from its initial permeability value, it is possible to determine whether the alloy has undergone the structural transformation. Therefore, the presented Feâ€"Mnâ€"Ga-based glass-coated microwire may be considered a suitable candidate for microactuators with sensory capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending the concept of shape memory alloys, multiphysic memory alloys (MPMAs) based on Heusler compounds show remarkable properties in terms of multiphysic transitions coupling thermal, structural and magnetic domains. Such characteristics thus unveil new application potentials in the field of actuation or energy harvesting for instance. In particular, one of the most notable features of such materials lies in the presence of a magnetic response in a particular temperature range. In order to further investigate the origin of such characteristics, this study aims at providing qualitative and quantitative theoretical insights for shaping potential future material developments and tailoring, along with experimental investigations supporting the proposed theoretical framework. Such a development is done by considering that the unique MPMA behavior originates from the combination of a first-order hysteretic structural transition between martensitic and austenite phases with a ferromagnetic behavior of the austenite phase. Comparison of such an approach with experimental magnetic property measurements of a metamagnetic Heusler nickel–cobalt–manganese–indium alloy shows a good ability to predict the low-field magnetic response, highlighting the main involved parameters for further developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structures, magnetic properties, and martensitic transformation in all-d-metal Heusler-like alloys Cd2MnTM (TM = Fe, Ni, Cu) were investigated by the first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory. The results indicate that all three alloys are stabilized in the ferromagnetic L21-type structure. The total magnetic moments mainly come from Mn and Fe atoms for Cd2MnFe, whereas, only from Mn atoms for Cd2MnNi and Cd2MnCu. The magnetic moment at equilibrium lattice constant of Cd2MnFe (6.36 μB) is obviously larger than that of Cd2MnNi (3.95 μB) and Cd2MnCu (3.82 μB). The large negative energy differences (ΔE) between martensite and austenite in Cd2MnFe and Cd2MnNi under tetragonal distortion and different uniform strains indicate the possible occurrence of ferromagnetic martensitic transformation (FMMT). The minimum total energies in martensitic phase are located with the c/a ratios of 1.41 and 1.33 for Cd2MnFe and Cd2MnNi, respectively. The total moments in martensitic state still maintain large values compared with those in cubic state. The study is useful to find the new all-d-metal Heusler alloys with FMMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the first-principles calculations, we study the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties along with exchange interactions and Curie temperatures for CrZrCoZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Pb) quaternary Heusler alloys. The results show that the CrZrCoZ alloys are half-metallic ferrimagnets, and their total spin magnetic moments, which are mainly carried by the Cr atom, obey the Slater–Pauling rule. Analysis of local density of states confirms that the exchange splitting between eg and t2g states leads to the formation of half-metallic gap. According to the calculated Heisenberg exchange coupling parameters, it is found that the Cr(A)–Cr(A) and Cr(A)–Zr(B) exchanges dominate the appearance of ferrimagnetic states in CrZrCoZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Pb) alloys, and it is the Cr(A)–Zr(B) and Zr(B)–Zr(B) exchanges for CrZrCoSi alloy. Finally, we estimate the Curie temperatures of CrZrCoZ by using mean-field approximation, it is found that the CrZrCoZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Pb) alloys have noticeably higher Curie temperatures than room temperature. So, we expect that the CrZrCoZ alloys are promising candidates in spintronic applications in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nanostructured Co2FeGa Heusler alloy films with L21, B2 and A2-type cubic structures were synthesized using a lowcost electrodeposition method for the first time. The crystal structure of the deposited Co2FeGa is dependent on pH of electrolyte. Magnetic measurements show that the saturation magnetization and coercivity of the samples have a positive correlation with the pH of electrolyte. The relationships of the microstructure and magnetic properties of the samples were discussed. The electrodeposited Co2FeGa films with a high magnetization and low coercivity in our work will be of particular interest in industrial and technology applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the structure, transport and magnetic properties of Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 Heusler alloy. Structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy has confirmed Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 to be a natural composite of Ni2MnSb and Ni2MnAl phases, regardless of annealing conditions. This composite has a dendritic microstructure formed by the phase separation during solidification. The electronic phase separation was confirmed using x-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy, recorded at Mn and Ni K-edge and supported by ab-initio calculations of the same using multiple scattering theory. A thorough characterization of this novel composite form of Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 Heusler alloy has been carried out by recording its magnetic and transport properties including electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity. The composite micro-structure of this system plays a crucial role in drastically reducing its thermal conductivity value, while maintaining its metallic character. Unlike many oxide composites, the magnetic properties of the Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 cannot be considered as the volume average of the characteristics of the two phases, rather it shows a long range ferromagnetic order with Curie temperature of 334 K and magnetic moment of 2.52 /f.u. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the structure, transport and magnetic properties of Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 Heusler alloy. Structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy has confirmed Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 to be a natural composite of Ni2MnSb and Ni2MnAl phases, regardless of annealing conditions. This composite has a dendritic microstructure formed by the phase separation during solidification. The electronic phase separation was confirmed using x-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy, recorded at Mn and Ni K-edge and supported by ab-initio calculations of the same using multiple scattering theory. A thorough characterization of this novel composite form of Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 Heusler alloy has been carried out by recording its magnetic and transport properties including electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity. The composite micro-structure of this system plays a crucial role in drastically reducing its thermal conductivity value, while maintaining its metallic character. Unlike many oxide composites, the magnetic properties of the Ni2MnSb0.5Al0.5 cannot be considered as the volume average of the characteristics of the two phases, rather it shows a long range ferromagnetic order with Curie temperature of 334 K and magnetic moment of 2.52 /f.u. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "High Spin Polarization in All-3d-Metallic Heusler Compounds: The Case of Fe2CrZ and Co2CrZ (Z=Sc, Ti, V)" published in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics in 2019. The correction addresses errors in the caption of figure 4 and the first paragraph of subsection 3.3. The errors are related to the representation of the bands and the number of electrons in the minority-spin states. The correction does not affect the final conclusions of the paper. [Extracted from the article]

We have investigated the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the full-Heusler alloy Co _2 MnSi (CMS) under external pressures and strains. The total and individual spin and orbital magnetic moments were also obtained under pressures and strains. We found a gradual transition from half-metallic to metallic state around 31 GPa in our relativistic study. The spin polarization degree (SPD) was reduced at the Fermi level by including relativistic effect of spin–orbit coupling. The exchange energy describes the trend of decreasing SPD values. The decreasing behavior observed for individual orbital magnetic moments under applied pressures. The metallic behavior was also observed under 8% strain along [001] direction. It was shown that the SPD values decrease in the presence of spin–orbit coupling, whereas the spin magnetism of Co _2 MnSi under uniaxial strain is marginally affected.

We have developed a spintronic theory for magnetic tunnel junctions consisting of a single-crystal barrier and two half-metallic ferromagnetic electrodes. Radically different from the conventional theories, the barrier is now regarded as an optical diffraction grating, and treated by the traditional optical scattering method, i.e. Bethe theory and two-beam approximation. After tunneling, the electrons can thus possess high coherence. In the case that the electrodes are both half-metallic, the conventional theories give an infinite tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR). By contrast, in the Bethe theory and two-beam approximation, there can exist the scattering channels of nonconservation of energy. Therefore, the TMR can still be far away from infinity, which is in accordance with experiments. Also, we find that, due to the half-metallicity of the electrodes, the parallel conductance oscillates with temperature whereas the antiparallel conductance will increase other than oscillate with temperature. That is in agreement with experiments, too. Finally, two applications of the present theory are discussed with regard to the material design and engineering: one is how to choose appropriate materials for the barrier to realize infinite TMR; the other is a criterion for judging whether a material is half-metallic or not.

Co2FeSn Heusler alloy nanowires with the diameters of 30 nm and 60 nm were firstly prepared by direct current electrodeposition. Magnetic measurements revealed the excellent soft ferromagnetism of Co2FeSn nanowires. The easy magnetization axis is perpendicular to the long axis of nanowires and the magnetic reversal of Co2FeSn nanowires occurs via coherent rotation model. In addition, the influence of the wire diameter on the magnetic properties of Co2FeSn nanowires was discussed. Co2FeSn Heusler alloy nanowires synthesized in this work shows tunable magnetic properties and are of potential interest for magnetic device and spintronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the relation between martensitic transformation temperature range ΔT (where ΔT is the difference between martensitic transformation start and finish temperature) and lattice distortion ratio (c/a) of martensitic transformation, a series of Ni46Mn28−xGa22Co4Cux (x = 2–5) Heusler alloys is prepared by arc melting method. The vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) experiment results show that ΔT increases when x > 4 and decreases when x < 4 with x increasing, and the minimal ΔT (about 1 K) is found at x = 4. Ambient X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that ΔT is proportional to c/a for non-modulated Ni46Mn28−xGa22Co4Cux (x = 2–5) martensites. The relation between ΔT and c/a is in agreement with the analysis result obtained from crystal lattice mismatch model. About 1000-ppm strain is found for the sample at x = 4 when heating temperature increases from 323 K to 324 K. These properties, which allow a modulation of ΔT and temperature-induced strain during martensitic transformation, suggest Ni46Mn24Ga22Co4Cu4 can be a promising actuator and sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of Co2FeSn Heusler alloy using a simple and low-cost electrodeposition method is reported for the first time. The effect of deposition current density on crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and magnetic properties of the samples was studied. The electrodeposited Co2FeSn alloy showed a nanocrystalline structure. Magnetic measurement reveals that the obtained Co2FeSn are soft magnetic at room temperature with the coercivity of 32 Oe. The saturation magnetic moment of the electrodeposited Co2FeSn alloy at 5 K is estimated to be 4.5 μB/f.u. The relationship between the microstructure and magnetic properties of the samples was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the addition of Co on the martensitic transformation and Curie transition temperatures of polycrystalline Ni46−xCu4CoxMn33.5Ga16.5 (x = 0, 1, 3, 5) alloys are investigated. An abrupt decrease in the martensitic transformation temperature and an obvious increase in the Curie transition temperature of austenite (TCA) are observed when Co is doped in the NiCuMnGa alloy. As a result, the composition range for obtaining the magnetostructural transition is extended. Furthermore, the effect of a strong magnetic field on the magnetostructural transition is analyzed. This study offers a possible method to extend the composition range for obtaining magnetostructural transition in Heusler alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of partial Si substitution for Sn on the structure, magnetism, magnetic entropy change, exchange bias and negative magnetoresistance in Ni48Mn39Sn13−xSix(1 ≤ x ≤ 4) Heusler alloy systems is investigated. A small amount of Si in the Sn position influences the characteristic transition temperatures and the magnetocaloric effect. A maximum positive entropy change of 5.13 J kg−1 K−1 is observed for a field change of 9 T in the x = 1 alloy. An increase in Si content increases the exchange bias field. The exchange bias field and the coercive field strongly depend on the Si content. For the x = 4 alloy, an exchange bias field of 354 Oe is observed. In addition, a negative magnetoresistance is observed in this alloy system, which decreases with Si content. The increase in resistivity at the martensitic transition could be attributed to the formation of superzone boundary gaps that changes the density of states near the Fermi surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical alloying has been used to produce nanocrystallite Co2Cr1-xFexAl (x = 0, 0.4, 0.6, 1) Heusler alloys. The formation of the L21 phase of Co2Cr1-xFexAl by the mechanical alloying method was investigated. The effect of Fe doping on the structural and magnetic properties of the samples was also studied. The results were compared with the Slater Pauling prediction. A comparison between these samples and those prepared by the arc-melting method in the literature was made. An increase of the coercivity Hc with the increasing Fe doping level was observed. This phenomenon was explained by the increases of lattice strain and magnetic anisotropy with the increasing Fe content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial layers of the Heusler alloy Co2FeSi were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(1 1 0) at different growth temperatures TG. Below a transition temperature Ttrans = 200 &DEG;C samples with high interfacial perfection and crystal quality were obtained, whereas above Ttrans a strong surface and interface roughening sets in. All samples are ferromagnetic and reveal a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis along the [1 1 0] direction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain-size evolution with increasing annealing time has been investigated in polycrystalline Co2FeSi films. The samples were prepared by sputtering giving differing grain sizes. Large grains were formed after annealing at 500 &DEG;C, with grains over 200 nm forming in the L21 phase in a layer-by-layer mode. Further annealing causes a decrease in the average grain size, agreeing well with previously reported results for Co2MnSi. Magnetic measurements showed moments with values of up to 75% of those predicted from the Slater-Pauling curve providing further evidence for the formation of the L21 phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure, magnetic and electrical transport properties of Fe2MnSi Heusler alloy have been investigated in the present study. It is found that the sample has been crystallized to the Fmm space group in the L21 structure. Ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition (Curie temperature) has been observed at around 325 K, which is further confirmed by employing the Arrott plot technique. Critical exponent values () have been obtained by employing the Kouvel–Fisher method and Widom-scaling relation; confirming the second order phase transition observance in the magnetic transition region. These values suggest that the magnetic transition follows the mean field theory. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity and spontaneous magnetization data analysis in the low-temperature region ensures the presence of magnon in the system. Detailed analysis of the resistivity data for 50 K to 400 K reveals a metal to semimetal transition at around 325 K, which is close to the Curie temperature. A correlation between electrical transport and magnetic ordering has been observed in the Fe2MnSi alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-consistent first-principles calculations with the generalized gradient approximation are employed to study the electronic structures, magnetic properties, effects of uniform strain and tetragonal distortion on RuMnCrZ(Z  =  P, As and Sb). It is found that they are all half-metallic ferrimagnets. Calculations show that the total magnetic moments of RuMnCrZ(Z  =  P, As and Sb) are in agreement with the Slater–Pauling 24 electron-rule. The effects of uniform strain and tetragonal distortion are studied for RuMnCrSb. For uniform strain, large spin-down band gaps are observed between  −4% and 0 and EF is located within the gap in the range of  −2% to 0. Furthermore, the total magnetic moment is 2 from  −4% to 0 uniform strain, and the spin polarization P of 100% is observed in the range of  −2% to 0, which indicates that the perfect half-metallicity of RuMnCrSb is maintained within the range. For tetragonal distortion, the spin-down band gaps exist for a large range of distortion:  −8% distortion 6% and the Fermi level is always within the gap for this range. 100% P and the total magnetic moment of 2 are maintained within the range of  −6% to  +5%. It is concluded that the perfect half-metallicity of RuMnCrSb appears in the range of  −6% to  +5% tetragonal distortion. The half-metallicity is more stable in the case of tetragonal distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloys (EQHAs) have received more and more attention in spintronic applications due to the half-metallicity and the long spin diffusion length. Recently, nearly half-metallicity (nearly 100% electronic spin polarization) and high Curie temperature (above 583 K) have been found in the equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloy of NiCoMnAl. In order to explore the potential spintronic applications, in this work, we design the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) of NiCoMnAl/InP/NiCoMnAl(0 0 1), and theoretically investigate the spin transport properties. It is shown that the MTJ exhibits a spin filtering effect and a high tunnel magnetoresistance ratio (up to 1.4  ×  107%) when a bias voltage is applied to the electrodes of NiCoMnAl. Interestingly, without a bias voltage, a temperature difference can also drive the spin filtering effect. These versatile transport properties are discussed in terms of the half-metallicity of electrode, the spin-polarized transmission spectrum, and the difference of Fermi–Dirac distribution. The present work indicates promising applications for NiCoMnAl in spintronic devices and spin caloritronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We deposit 30 nm thick Cr2MnSb films on a MgO(0 0 1) substrate by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction reveals that the annealing promotes the crystallization of Cr2MnSb from amorphous at as-deposited state to partially crystallized phase, and that the crystallinity improves by raising the annealing temperature. The crystallized phase exhibits full B2 and partial L21 ordering after the annealing above 300 °C. The magnetic and magneto-transport properties reveal that the annealed Cr2MnSb shows magnetic ordering up to ~350 K with small magnetic moment, 0.3µB/formula unit for the sample annealed at 300 °C. We adopt Cr2MnSb as one of the electrodes in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), and observe the switching of junction resistance, when the magnetization direction is reversed by sweeping an external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ni2Mn1+xIn1−x alloys, prepared using an arc-melting furnace in an argon environment, have been studied for their potential application in cost-effective magnetic refrigeration technology. The room-temperature x-ray diffraction shows that the Ni2Mn1+xIn1−x alloys with 0  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.34 exhibit austenite cubic phase, whereas the alloys with x  >  0.34 have mixed tetragonal martensite and cubic austenite phases. The Ni2Mn1.34In0.66 alloy shows a clear second-order phase transition with a Curie temperature of 305 K but its elemental composition is very close to the critical composition between first and second–order phase transitions. The calculated magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power of the Ni2Mn1.34In0.66 alloy measured at 3 T field are 4.5 J kg−1 K−1 and 201 J kg−1, respectively. The temperature dependent resistivity of Ni2Mn1.34In0.66 alloy measured at H  =  0 Oe shows that the sample has a room temperature resistivity of 7 The absence of thermal and magnetic hysteresis due to second-order magnetic phase change, coupled with higher values of magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power, suggests that the Ni2Mn1.34In0.66 alloy has the potential for magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique has been used to study the magnetization relaxation processes and magnetic anisotropy in two different series of the Co2FeSi (CFS) Heusler alloy thin films, deposited on the Si (1 1 1) substrate by ultra high vacuum magnetron sputtering. While the CFS films of fixed (50 nm) thickness, deposited at different substrate temperatures (TS) ranging from room temperature (RT) to 600°C, constitute the series-I, the CFS films with thickness t varying from 12 nm to 100 nm and deposited at 550°C make up the series-II. In series-I, the CFS films deposited at TS  =  RT and 200°C are completely amorphous, the one at C is partially crystalline, and those at C, 550°C and 600°C are completely crystalline with B2 order. By contrast, all the CFS films in series-II are in the fully-developed B2 crystalline state. Irrespective of the strength of disorder and film thickness, angular variation of the resonance field in the film plane unambiguously establishes the presence of global ‘in-plane’ uniaxial anisotropy. The uniaxial anisotropy field decreases as the crystalline order in the films increases and goes through a minimum at t  =  50 nm as a function of film thickness. Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert damping and two-magnon scattering dominantly contribute to the line-broadening in both ‘in-plane’ and ‘out-of-plane’ configurations. The two-magnon scattering has larger magnitude in the amorphous films than in the crystalline ones. Angular variation of the linewidth in the film plane reveals that, in the CFS thin films of varying thickness, a crossover from the ‘in-plane’ local four-fold symmetry (cubic anisotropy) to local two-fold symmetry (uniaxial anisotropy) occurs as t exceeds 50 nm. Gilbert damping constant decreases monotonously from 0.047 to 0.0078 with decreasing disorder strength (increasing TS) and jumps from 0.008 for the CFS film with t  =  50 nm to 0.024 for the film with t  =  75 nm. Such variations of with TS and t are understood in terms of the changes in the total (spin-up and spin-down) density of states at the Fermi level caused by the disorder and film thickness. Spin pumping across the Co2FeSi film/Ta cap-layer interface makes negligible contribution to . We propose that disorder and/or the film thickness can be used as control parameters to tune , whose value is decisive in choosing a ferromagnetic film for a given spintronics application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic materials with low Gilbert damping and low magnetization are necessary for the realization of faster or more energy-efficient spintronic devices based on spin-transfer-torque. Here, we report Gilbert damping in epitaxially grown equiatomic quaternary CoFeMnSi Heusler alloy films. The 10 nm-thick films show a saturation magnetization of MS  =  630 emu cm−3 and a Gilbert damping constant of , which are relatively small values among transition metal ferromagnets, in addition to its soft magnetic properties. The physical origin of the relatively low damping and the possibility of a further reduction of α to the ultra-low damping regime  ∼10−4 are discussed in terms of the spin-gapless-like electronic structure and the effect of the chemical order computed from first principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family of ABX half-Heusler materials, also called filled-tetrahedral structures, is a special class of ternary compounds hosting a variety of material functionalities including thermoelectricity, topological insulation, magnetism, transparent conductivity and superconductivity. This class of compounds can be derived from two substitution approaches, i.e., from Heusler materials by removing a portion of atoms forming ordered vacancies thus becoming half-Heusler, or from tetrahedral zinc blende compounds by adding atoms on the interstitial sites thus become filled-tetrahedral structures. In this paper, we briefly review the substitution approaches for material design along with their application in the design of half-Heusler compounds; then we will review the high-throughput search of new half-Heusler filled-tetrahedral structures and the study of their physical properties and functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining solid phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy with Sb doping, we can form n-type Ge layers on one of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloys, Fe3Si. Two-dimensional epitaxial growth of the Sb-doped Ge layers can be achieved on the Si-terminated Fe3Si surface at 175 ◦C. Electrical properties of the Au-Ti/Sb-doped Ge/Fe3Si/p-Ge/Al vertical devices indicate that the Sb-doped Ge layer is an n-type semiconductor. We also show a high-quality CoFe/n-Ge/Fe3Si trilayer structure for vertical semiconductor spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated growth, annealing conditions and magnetic properties of the Heusler alloy Fe2+xVyAl by means of x-ray diffraction, magnetic hysteresis and exchange-bias measurements. Ferromagnetic Heusler alloy films were obtained by sputtering Fe2VAl and Fe3VAl targets and performing post-growth annealing. The characteristic (2 2 0) Heusler alloy peaks were seen in the x-ray diffraction measurements and corresponding ferromagnetic behaviours were observed. In addition, antiferromagnetic Heusler alloy films were deposited by employing Al pegs on Fe3VAl sputtering targets. The deposited films had elemental ratios close to the predicted Fe2.5V0.5Al phase, and a 16 Oe exchange-bias was measured in a Fe2.3V0.7Al/Co60Fe40 system at 100 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the observed unusual magnetoresistance, magnetocaloric effect and thermoelectric properties of half-Heuslers, ErPdSb, and HoPdSb, crystallizing in a non-centrosymmetric cubic structure. While ErPdSb exhibits a paramagnetic behaviour in the entire temperature range of our study (1.8–300 K), HoPdSb was found to order antiferromagnetically below 2.2 K. The magnetic entropy change was estimated to be ~48 and ~22 J (kg K)−1 at 2.5 K for Ho and Er sample, respectively, for a field change of 90 kOe, which is comparable or higher than the well-known magnetocaloric materials in this temperature range. The magnetoresistance (MR) behaviour was found to be a combination of positive and negative MR contributions analogous to that of the Weyl semimetals having non-trivial band structure (NbAs and TaAs) which can be modelled in terms of Adler–Bell–Jackiw anomaly. In addition, we observed low thermal conductivities for both these samples. Our studies clearly indicate that these half-Heuslers, HoPdSb and ErPdSb, exhibiting different properties can serve as multifunctional materials in various applications, specifically for ultra-low temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn2CrGa-based Heusler compounds combining small magnetization with high spin polarization, fabricated by Fe and Pt substitution for Cr, are investigated experimentally and discussed in terms of sublattice site occupancies. X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction indicate that the parent alloy and Mn2Cr0.6Fe0.4Ga are normal cubic Heusler alloys with substantial chemical disorder, whereas Mn2Cr0.6Pt0.4Ga crystallizes in the tetragonal D022 structure. Magnetization measurements indicate that the spin structure of the parent alloy is essentially ferrimagnetic, but alloying with Fe or Pt reduces the net magnetization per formula unit from 0.40 µB in the parent alloy to nearly zero in the Fe case. The Curie temperature, the magnetoresistance, and the Andreev-reflection transport-spin polarization are less affected by the substitutions, the last changing from 65% in Mn2CrGa to 60% and 61% in the Fe- and Pt-substituted alloys, respectively. The properties of these alloys are favorable for spintronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of a first order martensite transition in off-stoichiometric Ni45Mn44Sn9In2 ferromagnetic shape memory Heusler alloy has been clearly observed by thermal, magnetic, and magneto-transport measurements. Field and thermal path dependence of the change in large magnetic entropy and negative magnetoresistance are observed, which originate due to the sharp change in magnetization driven by metamagnetic transition from the weakly magnetic martensite phase to the ferromagnetic austenite phase in the vicinity of the martensite transition. The noticeable shift in the martensite transition with the application of a magnetic field is the most significant feature of the present study. This shift is due to the interplay of the austenite and martensite phase fraction in the alloy. The different aspects of the first order martensite transition, e.g. broadening of the martensite transition and the field induced arrest of the austenite phase are mainly related to the dynamics of coexisting phases in the vicinity of the martensite transition. The alloy also shows a second order ferromagnetic  →  paramagnetic transition near the Curie temperature of the austenite phase. A noticeably large change in magnetic entropy (ΔSM  =  24 J kg−1 K−1 at 298 K) and magnetoresistance (=  −33% at 295 K) has been observed for the change in 5 and 8 T magnetic fields, respectively. The change in adiabatic temperature for the change in a magnetic field of 5 T is found to be  −3.8 K at 299 K. The low cost of the ingredients and the large change in magnetic entropy very near to the room temperature makes Ni45Mn44Sn9In2 alloy a promising magnetic refrigerant for real technological application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]