Strain behavior and lattice dynamics in Ni50Mn35In15

Elastic Moduli: a Tool for Understanding Chemical Bonding and Thermal Transport in Thermoelectric Materials

The elastic behavior of a material can be a powerful tool to decipher thermal transport. In thermoelectrics, measuring the elastic moduli-directly tied to sound velocity-is critical to understand trends in lattice thermal conductivity, as well as study bond anharmonicity and phase transitions, given the sensitivity of elastic moduli to the chemical bonding. In this review, we introduce the basics of elasticity and explain the origin of high-temperature lattice softening from a bonding perspective. We then review elasticity data throughout classes of thermoelectrics, and explore trends in sound velocity, anharmonicity, and thermal conductivity. We reveal how experimental sound velocities can improve the accuracy of common thermal conductivity models and present a critical discussion of Grüneisen parameter estimates from elastic moduli. Readers will be equipped with tools to leverage elasticity measurements or calculations to accurately interpret thermal transport trends.

Glassy Magnetic Transitions and Accurate Estimation of Magnetocaloric Effect in Ni-Mn Heusler Alloys

In this work, the structural and magnetic transitions of Heusler alloy Ni₅₀Mn₃₄In₁₄Ga₂ have been carefully studied through measurements of heat flow and magnetization under DC and AC magnetic fields. This alloy undergoes the transition sequence of spin-glassy martensite (SPM) → ferromagnetic austenite (FA) → paramagnetic austenite at ∼225 and ∼305 K, respectively, during heating. Splitting of zero-field-cooling (ZFC)/field-cooling (FC) curves in martensite is caused by the slowdown dynamics of spin glass as evidenced by frequency dispersion and aging effects. The development of a spin-glass state is believed to be the result of strain relaxation and interaction of ferroelastic twin walls in the martensite. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) at the SPM-FA transition was then measured using indirect, quasi-direct, and direct methods. The MCE magnitudes are controlled by the entropy changes associated with the first-order martensite transition and magnetic ordering of austenite under the magnetic field. The existence of a spin-glass state in martensite can also improve the reversibility of the magnetostructural transitions, which is beneficial for the improvement of the reversibility of associated MCE. These results provide an in-depth understanding of the transitions and magnetic properties of the Ni-Mn Heusler alloys and suggest that the MCE at the first-order magnetostructural transitions estimated solely using indirect methods may need some revision.

Coupling between phase transitions and glassy magnetic behaviour in Heusler alloy Ni50Mn34In8Ga8

The transition sequence in the Heusler alloy Ni50Mn34In8Ga8has been determined from measurements of elasticity, heat flow and magnetism to be paramagnetic austenite → paramagnetic martensite → ferromagnetic martensite at ∼335 and ∼260 K, respectively, during cooling. The overall pattern of elastic stiffening/softening and acoustic loss is typical of a system with bilinear coupling between symmetry breaking strain and the driving structural/electronic order parameter, and a temperature interval below the transition point in which ferroelastic twin walls remain mobile under the influence of external stress. Divergence between zero-field-cooling and field-cooling determinations of DC magnetisation below ∼220 K indicates that a frustrated magnetic glass develops in the ferromagnetic martensite. An AC magnetic anomaly which shows Vogel-Fulcher dynamics in the vicinity of ∼160 K is evidence of a further glassy freezing process. This coincides with an acoustic loss peak and slight elastic stiffening that is typical of the outcome of freezing of ferroelastic twin walls. The results suggest that local strain variations associated with the ferroelastic twin walls couple with local moments to induce glassy magnetic behaviour.