Direct Measure of Giant Magnetocaloric Entropy Contributions in Ni-Mn-In

Off-stoichiometric alloys based on Ni 2 MnIn have drawn attention due to the coupled first order magnetic and structural transformations, and the large magnetocaloric entropy associated with the transformations. Here we describe calorimetric and magnetic studies of four compositions. The results provide a direct measure of entropy changes contributions including at the first-order phase transitions, and thereby a determination of the maximum field-induced entropy change corresponding to the giant magnetocaloric effect. We find a large excess entropy change, attributed to magneto-elastic coupling, but only in compositions with no ferromagnetic order in the high-temperature austenite phase. Furthermore, a molecular field model corresponding to antiferromagnetism of the low-temperature phases is in good agreement, and nearly independent of composition, despite significant differences in overall magnetic response of these materials

Calorimetric and magnetic study for Ni50_{50}Mn36_{36}In14_{14} and relative cooling power in paramagnetic inverse magnetocaloric systems

The non-stoichiometric Heusler alloy Ni$_{50}$Mn$_{36}$In$_{14}$ undergoes a martensitic phase transformation in the vicinity of 345 K, with the high temperature austenite phase exhibiting paramagnetic rather than ferromagnetic behavior, as shown in similar alloys with lower-temperature transformations. Suitably prepared samples are shown to exhibit a sharp transformation, a relatively small thermal hysteresis, and a large field-induced entropy change. We analyzed the magnetocaloric behavior both through magnetization and direct field-dependent calorimetry measurements. For measurements passing through the first-order transformation, an improved method for heat-pulse relaxation calorimetry was designed. The results provide a firm basis for the analytic evaluation of field-induced entropy changes in related materials. An analysis of the relative cooling power (RCP), based on the integrated field-induced entropy change and magnetizing behavior of the Mn spin system with ferromagnetic correlations, shows that a significant RCP may be obtained in these materials by tuning the magnetic and structural transformation temperatures through minor compositional changes or local order changes

Electron spin relaxation by nuclei in semiconductor quantum dots

We have studied theoretically the electron spin relaxation in semiconductor quantum dots via interaction with nuclear spins. The relaxation is shown to be determined by three processes: (i) -- the precession of the electron spin in the hyperfine field of the frozen fluctuation of the nuclear spins; (ii) -- the precession of the nuclear spins in the hyperfine field of the electron; and (iii) -- the precession of the nuclear spin in the dipole field of its nuclear neighbors. In external magnetic fields the relaxation of electron spins directed along the magnetic field is suppressed. Electron spins directed transverse to the magnetic field relax completely in a time on the order of the precession period of its spin in the field of the frozen fluctuation of the nuclear spins. Comparison with experiment shows that the hyperfine interaction with nuclei may be the dominant mechanism of electron spin relaxation in quantum dots

High-field magneto-thermo-mechanical testing system for characterizing multiferroic bulk alloys

Multiferroic meta-magnetic shape memoryalloys are well known for exhibiting large magnetic field induced actuation strains, giant magnetocaloric effects, magneto-resistance, and structural and magnetic glassy behaviors. Thus, they are candidates for improving modern day sensing, actuation, magneto-resistance, and solid-state refrigeration processes. Until now, however, experimental apparatuses have typically been able to probe a limited ferroic parameter space in these materials, i.e., only concurrent thermal and mechanical responses, or magnetic and thermal responses. To overcome this barrier and better understand the coupling of multiple fields on materials behavior, a magneto-thermo-mechanical characterization device has been designed and implemented. This device is capable of compressing a specimen at load levels up to 5300 N collinearly with applied fields up to 9 T between temperatures of −100 °C and 120 °C. Uniaxial stress, strain, temperature, magnetic field, and the volumetric average magnetization have been simultaneously measured under mixed loading conditions on a NiCoMnIn meta-magnetic shape memoryalloy and a few selected results are presented here