Large magnetic-field-induced strains in Ni-Mn-Ga alloys in rotating magnetic field

A single-crystal samples of near-stoichiometric Ni₂MnGa alloys with large magnetic field induced strain (MSM effect) at room temperature have been investigated. It was found that there is a reversible reorientation of easy magnetization direction and magnetic domain structure under applied magnetic field. By means of x-ray Laue diffraction method and difractometric analysis it was ascertained that these phenomena are connected with the growth of martensitic twin variant with the short crystallographic axis (c-axis) directed along the applied magnetic field. Furthermore, by means magneto-optical investigations we have found the correlation between martensitic microstructure and magnetic domain structure. The field-induced reorientation of martensite was able to change the dimensional lengths of the samples more than 4.5%.