Low-temperature magnetic response of MnSi: Thermomagnetic history effects, metamagnetic transition and the kinetic arrest of the reverse transition

We report results of dc magnetization measurements in the intermetallic compound MnSi, highlighting a magnetic-field–induced metamagnetic transition and thermomagnetic history effects. The metamagnetic transition is found to be irreversible in nature; in the field reducing cycle the sample does not go back to the original zero-field cooled magnetic state. We interpret this result in terms of kinetic arrest of the reverse phase transition from the field-induced higher-field magnetic state, and draw analogy with the similar phenomenon observed recently in various classes of magnetic materials including CMR manganites.