Direct measurement and imaging of magnetocaloric effect inhomogeneities at the microscale in Ni44Co6Mn30Ga20 with infrared thermography

•Diverse average behavior of MCE on FSMA near structural transition (heating/cooling).•Magnetocaloric effect manifests inhomogeneous behavior at the microscopic scale.•Behavior of MCE at the microscopic scale associated with phase inhomogeneity dynamics.•Direct average microscale results fit macroscale field cycling studies in MCE of SMAs.