An in-situ study of magnetic domain structures in undercooled Fe-29.5 at. %Pd magnetostrictive alloys by Lorentz microscopy and electron holography

Understanding of correlation between magnetic domain structure and functional properties is of importance for the magnetic field driven phase transition (e.g., martensitic transformation) or microstructure variation (e.g., twin boundary motion) materials. In this work, we report a Fe-29.5 at. %Pd shape memory alloy treated by undercooling processing upon a degree of 320 K below the liquid temperature. The effect of high undercooling on the solidified microstructure and martensitic transformation temperatures was investigated. By in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and electron holography, magnetic domain structure and the field-induced domain wall motion behavior in as-cast and undercooled samples have been schematically studied. The irregular domain structure can be observed in these alloys. On the application of a field up to 300 Oe, the domain walls for both samples are able to move along the direction of the external magnetic field, but structural transition and rearrangement of variants are not observed in the undercooled alloy. The large magnetostriction of Fe-29.5 at. %Pd undercooled alloy originates from the irregular domain walls motion instead of the rearrangement of martensitic twin variants.