Modeling the fractional magnetic states of magnetostructural transformations

The large inverse magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys occurs at a critical temperature near room temperature. At this temperature, the material is in a mixed-state and can have a variable ratio of two stable magnetic crystallographic-states; a high magnetization state (HM) and a low magnetization state (LM). The field-induced thermal hysteresis in the virgin curve of Ni50Mn35In15 and the virgin first-order reversal curves (VFORC) are presented. A model is introduced to describe the descending branches of these curves based on the different magnetic fields of conversion (from HM to LM). Using limited measurements, the model is used as a tool to determine the fractions of the two crystallographic-states within the mixed-state region.