Magnetostructural transformation and magnetocaloric effect in Mn_48-xV_xNi₄₂Sn₁₀ ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

In this work, we tuned the magnetostructural transformation and the coupled magnetocaloric properties of Mn_48-xV_xNi₄₂Sn₁₀ (x=0, 1, 2, and 3) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys prepared by means of partial replacement of Mn by V. It is observed that the martensitic transformation temperatures decrease with the increase of V content. The shift of the transition temperatures to lower temperatures driven by the applied field, the metamagnetic behavior, and the thermal hysteresis indicates the first-order nature for the magnetostructural transformation. The entropy changes with a magnetic field variation of 0-5 T are 15.2, 18.8, and 24.3 J·kg^-1·K^-1 for the x=0, 1, and 2 samples, respectively. The tunable martensitic transformation temperature, enhanced field driving capacity, and large entropy change suggest that Mn_48-xV_xNi₄₂Sn₁₀ alloys have a potential for applications in magnetic cooling refrigeration.