Effect of low dc magnetic field on the premartensitic phase transition temperature of ferromagnetic Ni2MnGa single crystals

The temperature and field dependence of alternating-current (ac) susceptibility in a Ni50Mn25Ga25 single crystal was measured using an ac susceptometer with a dc magnetic field oriented in the [100] and [110] directions, respectively. It is found that even at very low fields the premartensitic transition temperature decreases monotonically with the increase of the applied field, and it decreases more rapidly with field applied along the [110] direction than with field along the [100] direction. In accord with a previous model, present results confirm that the magnetoelastic interaction is responsible for the premartensitic transition, and the magnitude of the magnetoelastic interaction in the [110] direction is stronger than that in the [100] direction.