Strain Engineering in Ni-Co-Mn-Sn Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys: Influence on the Magnetic Properties and Martensitic Transformation

Ni-Mn-Sn ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, which can be stimulated by an external magnetic field, exhibit a fast response and have aroused wide attention. However, the fixed and restricted working temperature range has become a challenge in practical application. Here, we introduced strain engineering, which is an effective strategy to dynamically tune the broad working temperature region of Ni-Co-Mn-Sn alloys. The influence of biaxial strain on the working temperature range of Ni-Co-Mn-Sn alloy was systematically investigated by the ab initio calculation. These calculation results show a wide working temperature range (200 K) in Ni(14)Co(2)Mn(13)Sn(3) FSMAs can be achieved with a slight strain from 1.5% to −1.5%, and this wide working temperature range makes Ni(14)Co(2)Mn(13)Sn(3) meet the application requirements for both low-temperature and high-temperature (151–356 K) simultaneously. Moreover, strain engineering is demonstrated to be an effective method of tuning martensitic transformation. The strain can enhance the stability of the Ni(14)Co(2)Mn(13)Sn(3) martensitic phase. In addition, the effects of strain on the magnetic properties and the martensitic transformation are explained by the electronic structure in Ni(14)Co(2)Mn(13)Sn(3) FSMAs.