Rearrangement of martensite variants under magnetic field applied along [001],[011] and [111] directions in Fe-31.2mol%Pd

Abstract

Rearrangement of variants of an Fe-31.2mol%Pd single crystal in the field-cooling process under the magnetic fields applied along [001] _{P} , [011] _{P} and [111] _{P} (P: parent phase) has been investigated by strain measurement and optical microscope observation. The fraction of the variant, which lowers the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy most, becomes almost 100% by the rearrangement of variants under the magnetic field applied along [001] _{P} , but does not reach 100% under the magnetic field applied along [011] _{P} . On the other hand, the rearrangement of variants hardly occurs under the magnetic field applied along [111] _{P} . Influence of the field direction on rearrangement of variants described above can be evaluated quantitatively by using the magnetic shear stress τ _{mag} and the shear stress required for rearrangement of variants τ _{req} .