Crystal structure and phase transformation in Ni53Mn 25Ga22 shape memory alloy from 20 K to 473 K

The crystal structures, magnetic structures, and phase transformation of the off-stoichiometric Ni53 Mn25 Ga22 were studied by neutron powder diffraction at different temperatures. It is shown that Ni53 Mn25 Ga22 has a tetragonal I4/mmm structure from 20 K to 403 K. An abrupt jump in unit-cell volume around room temperature, corresponding to an endothermic peak in the differential scanning calorimetry curve, was observed. This indicates a pretransformation in the martensitic phase of Ni53 Mn25 Ga22, which is completely different from the phase transformation in the stoichiometric Ni2 MnGa. The sequence of structural transformation in Ni53 Mn25 Ga22 is closely related to its intrinsic temperature-dependent magnetic structure. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.