Effect of pressure on the magnetic structure of austenitic Ni-Mn-(In,Sn) Heusler alloys

The proposed study aims to explore the impact of cell parameter reduction, induced by an external hydrostatic pressure, on the magnetic structure and macroscopic magnetic properties of Ni48Mn36In16 and Ni48Mn36Sn16 austenitic Heusler alloys. Previous research has demonstrated that substituting the non-spin-polarized element in Ni48Mn26(In,Sn)16 alloys modifies the magnetic structure and macroscopic properties. A combination of experimental results, first-principles and Monte Carlo calculations has shown that changes in magnetic couplings are driven by alterations in the electronic band structure. However, the potential role of interatomic distances in this process has not been fully elucidated. To address this unresolved question, we propose to investigate the impact of artificial structural compression, induced by external hydrostatic pressure, on the magnetic structure of NiMn(In,Sn) alloys. High-resolution neutron diffraction experiments under pressure will be crucial to examine how the shrinking of the lattice influences the ordered magnetic moments in different magnetic sublattices. Neutron diffraction data, combined with magnetometry results under pressure, will help disentangle the complex factors governing the magnetic behavior of Heusler alloys. The insights gained will provide valuable guidelines for designing Heusler alloys with tailored functional properties, which have promising applications in various technologies.