Magnetocaloric effect in NiMnInSi Heusler alloys

Abstract

The NiMnInSi Heusler alloy family is analyzed, and a self-similarity based method is used to analyze the first-order transition of Ni-Mn Heusler alloys. This method is appropriate to determine magnetic characteristics of the Magnetocaloric Effect providing that there is sufficient separation in their phase transition temperatures. A temperature scaling methodology is used to model the cluster compositions in the mixed-state regions where two stable magnetic states co-exist. The various descriptions and classifications of these transitions, however, are not critical to this analysis.