CHUF and `unfreezing' (or de-arrest) of kinetic arrest in magnetic shape memory alloys

Abstract

CHUF (cooling and heating in unequal field) protocol allows establishing phase coexistence through macroscopic measurements and enables distinguishing the metastable and stable phases (amongst the coexisting phase fractions across a first order magnetic transition) of a glass-like arrested state (GLAS). The observation of kinetic arrest in magnetic shape memory alloys has become a very active area of research. We highlight recent CHUF measurements on these materials that show behaviour similar to that reported earlier in manganites and other intermetallic alloys, emphasizing the generality. The martensitic transition provides an opportunity to study various properties as the CHUF protocol enables tuning of phase fractions, and controlled devitrification, of GLAS.