Martensitic Phase Transition in Magnetic Thin Films Based on Inverse Mn2FeSi Heusler Alloys

Magnetic Heusler alloys X(2)BZ (where X and B are 3d elements and Z belongs to the sp group) exhibit diverse magnetic and structural properties, which are important for designing multifunctional smart materials. Electronic band structure calculations demonstrate that, if the valence of element B is higher than that of element X, such alloys (so-called inverse Heusler alloys) can behave differently as compared to traditional Heusler alloys. The growth, the crystal structure, and the magnetic properties of thin films of a new Mn2FeSi Heusler alloy deposited under various conditions (including various substrates and annealing temperatures) are studied in this work. A temperature-induced structural transition into a low-magnetization martensitic phase and a thermally stable austenitic phase are detected. A magnetic field of 500 Oe applied to some samples at a temperature of 380 K is found to cause a large exchange bias (about 1 kOe) at T = 10 K. The influence of the type of substrate and the annealing temperature on the magnetic and structural properties of the films is discussed.