Ni–Mn–Ga thin films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Polycrystalline Ni–Mn–Ga thin films have been deposited by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, using slices of a Ni–Mn–Ga single crystal as targets and onto Si (100) substrates at temperatures ranging from 673 K up to 973 K. Off-stoichiometry thin films were deposited at a base pressure of ${\text{1×10}}^{\text{−6}}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{Torr}$ or in a 5 mTorr Ar atmosphere. Samples deposited in vacuum and temperatures above 823 K are magnetic at room temperature and show the austenitic {220} reflection in their x-ray diffraction patterns. The temperature dependences of both electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility suggest that these samples exhibit a structural martensitic transition at around 260 K. The magnetoresistance ratio at low temperature can be as high as 1.3%, suggesting the existence of a granular structure in the films.