Field step size and temperature effects on the character of the magnetostructural transformation in a Gd5Ge4 single crystal

The critical magnetic fields required to induce the magnetostructural transformation below ∼30 K in Gd5Ge4 are dependent on the size of the magnetic-field step employed during isothermal measurements of magnetization: the smaller the step, the lower the critical field. The influence of the magnetic-field step size on the character of the magnetostructural transition in Gd5Ge4 diminishes as temperature increases, nearly disappearing above ∼30 K. Decreasing the size of the field step also leads to the formation of multiple steps in the magnetization. The steps are reproducible in the same sample at low temperatures (below ∼9 K) but they become stochastic and irreproducible at high temperatures (above ∼20 K). The varying dynamics of both the magnetization and demagnetization processes is associated with approaching true equilibrium states and, therefore, reduction of the size of the magnetic-field step at low temperatures plays a role similar to the dominant role of thermal fluctuations at high temperatures. Similar phenomena are expected to occur in other martensiticlike systems, e.g., the manganites