Reversible elastocaloric effect at ultra-low temperatures in nanocrystalline shape memory alloys

Ahadi, A.*; Kawasaki, Takuro   ; Harjo, S.   ; Ko, W.-S.*; Sun, Q. P.*; Tsuchiya, Koichi*

We report emergence of an unprecedented elastocaloric effect with a decrease of temperature, well below the temperature range of martensitic phase transformation, in a model nanocrystalline NiTi that preserves slim-hysteresis superelasticity at ultra-low temperatures. The new elastocaloric effect emerges at a temperature of about 90 K, exhibits an opposite sign than the conventional elastocaloric effect, and intensifies gradually with a decrease of temperature to 18 K. At 18 K, a large adiabatic temperature change of +3.4 K is measured upon rapid release of tensile stress. The measured adiabatic temperature change are larger and extend over a wider temperature span than the existing electrocaloric, piezocaloric, and barocaloric cryo-refrigeration materials.