Effect of a magnetic field on the martensitic transition of Cu-Al-Mn alloys

Abstract

We study the effect of a magnetic field on the martensitic transition of a Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy. We present resistance measurements through the martensitic transition under applied magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 50 kOe. Results show that while the onset of the transformation is only slightly affected by the magnetic field, the extension in temperature of the transition is significantly reduced upon increasing the field. This finding reflects the existence of magnetoelastic coupling at a mesoscopic scale between magnetic and structural domains.