Magnetic and Magnetotransport Properties of MnCo0.8V0.2Ge Alloy.

Different magnetic and magnetotransport properties of a hexagonal Ni2In-type MnCo0.8V0.2Ge magnetic shape memory alloy are investigated. The parent MnCoGe alloy undergoes first order martensitic phase transition (MPT) at 650 K during cooling and orders ferromagnetically (FM) below 345 K. V-doping at the cobalt site decreases the MPT temperature and affects the lattice parameters that induces a short range antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction in this intrinsically FM system at low temperature. The studied alloy shows three important magnetofunctional properties namely exchange bias effect, magnetocaloric effect, and magnetoresistance which indicate that the alloy may be a potential candidate for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]