Ultraslow calorimetric studies of the martensitic transformation of NiFeGa alloys: detection and analysis of avalanche phenomena

We study the thermal properties of a bulk Ni55Fe19Ga26 Heusler alloy in a conduction calorimeter. At slow heating and cooling rates (1K/h), we compare as-cast and annealed samples. We report a smaller thermal hysteresis after the thermal treatment due to the stabilization of the 14M modulated structure in the martensite phase. In ultraslow experiments (40mK/h), we detect and analyze the calorimetric avalanches associated with the direct and reverse martensitic transformation from cubic to 14M phase. This reveals a distribution of events characterized by a power law with exponential cutoff p(u) ∝ u-εexp(-u/ξ) where ε~ 2 and damping energies ξ=370uJ (direct) and ξ=27uJ (reverse) that characterize the asymmetry of the transformation.