Giant magnetostriction in an ordered Fe3Pt single crystal exhibiting a martensitic transformation

Magnetostriction measurements have been made in an ordered Fe3Pt single crystal with degree of order of about 0.8, which exhibits a cubic-tetragonal martensitic transformation at 97 K. The specimen was cooled down to 4.2 K without magnetic field, and then a magnetic field of 4 T is applied to the specimen along [001] at 4.2 K and removed. As a result, a reversible giant magnetostriction of about 0.5% is observed. This reversible magnetostriction will be caused by the rearrangement of crystallographic domains, being three times as large as that of Terfenol-D (Fe2DyxTb1-x: typical magnetostrictive materials). (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01436-4].