Universality of Temperature Dependence of Twinning Stress in Ni-Mn-Ga 10M Martensite and Effect of Crystal Quality

We investigate experimentally the universality of the temperature dependences of twinning stress of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ twins in Ni₅₀Mn₂₈Ga₂₂ five-layered modulated martensite. Single crystals from different producers are compared to distinguish the universal behaviour and the effects of crystal quality. The twinning stress is both measured directly and calculated from magnetisation loops. In the vicinity of martensite transformation, the twinning stress is about the same for both types of twins. For type Ⅰ twins, it increases linearly with decreasing temperature with the slope of -0.045 MPa/K. For type Ⅱ twins, the twinning stress is almost temperature independent, but it increases rapidly near the intermartensite transformation temperature. In the crystal, which does not undergo an intermartensitic transformation and exhibits type Ⅱ twins, the magnetically induced reorientation of martensite is observed down to 2 K. Chemical inhomogeneity and mosaicity of the crystal results in mixed type twin boundaries with temperature dependences deviating from the universal behaviour of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ twins.