Magnetocaloric effect in Heusler shape-memory alloys

We present a comparative study of the magnetocaloric properties of Ni-Mn-X Heusler shape-memory alloys with X=Ga, Sn and In. In these materials, the magnetocaloric effect is a consequence of the magnetostructural coupling that enables the magnetic shape-memory properties. We show that inverse magnetocaloric effects can occur in these materials. The origin of this anomalous behavior is different in stoichiometric Ni2MnGa and in Ni-Mn-Sn/In. In the former case it is related to the strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of the martensitic phase, while in the later it is an intrinsic effect associated with an incipient antiferromagnetism