First-principles calculation of the instability leading to giant inverse magnetocaloric efects

The structural and magnetic properties of functional Ni-Mn-Z (Z = Ga, In, Sn) Heusler alloys are studied by first-principles and Monte Carlo methods. The $\mathit{\text{ab}}\mathit{\text{initio}}$ calculations give a basic understanding of the underlying physics which is associated with the strong competition of ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions with increasing chemical disorder. The resulting $d$-electron orbital dependent magnetic ordering is the driving mechanism of magnetostructural instability which is accompanied by a drop of magnetization governing the size of the magnetocaloric effect. The thermodynamic properties are calculated by using the $\mathit{\text{ab}}\mathit{\text{initio}}$ magnetic exchange coupling constants in finite-temperature Monte Carlo simulations, which are used to accurately reproduce the experimental entropy and adiabatic temperature changes across the magnetostructural transition.