Nanotwinned (inter)martensite transformation interfaces in Ni50Mn25Ga20Fe5 magnetic shape memory single crystal foil

Using common and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we study the magnetic and crystal phase structures as well as their evolution in Ni50Mn25Ga20Fe5 magnetic shape memory material with high Curie point. The particular alloying by Fe and changing thickness of the TEM foil enable us to observe all martensitic phases known in Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler alloy system and their respective transitions simultaneously. Starting from cubic austenite at about 10 nm foil thickness, the structure evolves via peculiar interleaved stripes of austenite and five-layered modulated 10M martensite to pure 10M phase with a low density of stacking faults at 40 nm thickness. With further increasing thickness, the 10M phase transforms gradually to seven-layered modulated 14M martensite with an increased density of stacking faults. Finally, the non-modulated tetragonal NM phase appears within the 14M phase by detwinning of nanotwins forming the modulated phases. High resolution TEM further confirms that nanotwinning and stacking faults are inherent structure features tightly connected with the lattice modulation and intermartensite transformations. Overall, the evolution of average lattice shows the same general trend, an increasing simple shear with (11¯0) shuffling plane, across the whole phase sequence. Additionally, we found large local variation of lattice parameters in all phases, which is is ascribed to strong lattice softening in the vicinity of the martensitic transformation and high density of stacking faults in 14M martensite lattice.