Stabilization of a fine twin structure in Ni–Mn–Ga by a diamond-like carbon coating

A fine twin structure is desirable in Ni–Mn–Ga to improve the performance of the material. In this study, a fine twin structure is stabilized by applying a 50 nm surface coating of diamond-like, tetrahedral amorphous carbon. It is shown that the film elastically strains with the sample. The mechanical and magnetic properties of the coated sample are characterized and compared to the mechanical properties of the uncoated sample. The effects of the thin film on the sample properties are shown and discussed.