Real-space phase field investigation of evolving magnetic domains and twin structures in a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy.

A real-space phase field model combining Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation and time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation is developed to investigate the evolution of ferromagnetic domains and martensitic twin structures in a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy at different lengthscales. Both domain and twin structures are obtained by simultaneously solving for minimization of magnetic, elastic, and magnetoelastic coupling energy terms via a nonlinear finite element method. The model is applied to simulate magneto-structural evolution within a nanoparticle and a bulk single-crystal of the alloy Ni2MnGa, which are subjected to mechanical strains. It is shown that a nanoparticle contains magnetic vortex structures within a single twin variant, whereas for a bulk crystal both 90° and 180° domain structures are present within multiple twin variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]