Giant magnetostriction in tetragonally distorted antiperovskite manganese nitrides

Abstract

The discovery of giant magnetostriction exceeding 2000 ppm in Mn3CuN has stimulated the research of manganese antiperovskites from the perspective of forced magnetostriction. We discovered that Mn3SbN exhibits a large magnetostriction of up to 450 ppm in the tetragonally distorted ferromagnetic phase below the Curie temperature TC = 360 K. The magnitude of magnetostriction is enhanced by up to 1000 ppm without reduction of TC by partial replacement of the constituent elements. The present results are examined in terms of ferromagnetic shape memory effects.