Entropic and magnetic properties of Ni-Mn-In magnetocaloric materials*

We report magnetization and field-dependent calorimetry studies of phase transitions in Ni-Mn-In. Off-stoichiometric alloys based on NiMnIn have drawn attention due to the coupled first order magnetic and structural transformation, and the large magnetocaloric entropy associated with this martensitic transformation. We have analyzed materials with compositions NiMnIn, NiMnInand NiMnIn, which differ in that the former exhibits a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition, while the others exhibit an additional ferromagnetic transition. Our results show that in the Nimaterials, the total entropy change at the phase transition can be modeled solely according to a magnetic contribution due to local moments on the Mn sites. On the other hand, NiMnInincludes a larger contribution which can be described in terms of a magneto-elastic coupling. This we will discuss in terms of the Bean-Rodbell model and a renomalization of the Debye temperature coupled with magnetism. We will also discuss the low-temperature properties, which show divergent behavior including antiferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic and superparamagnetic behavior.