Anomalous lattice softening of Ni2MnGa austenite due to magnetoelastic coupling

Elastic constants of the cubic Ni2MnGa austenite phase and corresponding mechanical damping were determined in the temperature range from 220 K to 400 K and magnetic field up to 2 T using ultrasound pulse-echo method and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. The shear coefficient c' increases from 3.6 GPa in the demagnetized state to 5.9 GPa at magnetic saturation, whereas the damping decreased nearly six times. The changes of other elastic constants, c(11) and c(44) with an applied field were less than 1%. In the ferromagnetic state, the c' was proportional to the square of magnetization. Above the Curie point, the coefficient c' and damping were field-independent. The anomalous shear softening is attributed to strong magnetoelastic coupling enhanced by low magnetic anisotropy. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3676412]