Orientation relationship between austenite and non-modulated martensite in Ni–Mn–Ga single crystals

Abstract In-situ electron back scatter diffraction experiments were used to accurately determine the orientation relationships between austenite and martensite in non-modulated Ni–Mn–Ga single crystals. Using a heating stage device direct orientation measurements of austenite and martensite in single-, two- and self-accommodated state were performed. The initial single crystals show a typical self-accommodated microstructure composed of a mixture of variants allowing the distribution of martensitic variants with minimal macroscopic shear. The martensitic variants are observed on different length scales: starting from a few nanometers up to a few micrometers. The corresponding experimental pole figures reveal a strongly asymmetric distribution of martensitic variants with respect to the parent cubic orientation. Combining the microstructural and crystallographic orientation information it is obvious that a hierarchy in twin formation exists. At first the main martensitic variants arise by Bain strain and rigid body rotation. Subsequently, the remaining variants follow a specific crystallographic orientation relationship. Using training procedure a single- or two-variant state in martensite can be obtained. In-situ heating experiments reveal that such configurations show a different orientation relationship between the martensitic variants and austenite compared to that in a self-accommodated state. It strongly suggests that the orientation relationship between these two phases is not strictly fixed, as given by the main models describing this relation, but also depends on the number and width of martensitic variants. The results are discussed with respect to lattice parameters, number of variants and existing models in the literature.