Magnetocaloric Effect in RFe10X2( X=Mo, V)

Abstract

We present a mean-field study on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in RFe10X2, where X=Mo, V, and R=Gd, Tb, Ho, Tm, Dy, Er, Nd for X=V. For X=Mo, R=Dy, Gd, and Nd. The two-sublattice model, involving the 4f (rare earth) and 3d(Fe) sublattices, is used. For both systems, magnetization, magnetic heat capacity, magnetic entropy and isothermal entropy change ∆Sm are calculated for different magnetic fields in the 0-5T range and the temperature range from 0 to 700K. Direct and inverse MCEs are shown to take place in these ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic compounds. For a field change ∆H=5T, the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change has been calculated for ferromagnetic NdFe10Mo2 compound to be 6.6 J/K mol at Tc=441 K. Both direct, and inverse MCEs have been found in ferrimagnetic compounds, e.g., for TmFe10V2, with maximum -∆Sm= J/K mol at Tc=521K and ∆Sm= J/K mol at TN=127 K. Mean-field analysis is suitable for handling the systems we report on. Further study on the lattice and electronic contribution to entropy is planned.