Magnetic field induced phase transitions in Gd5(Si1.95Ge2.05) single crystal and the anisotropic magnetocaloric effect

Magnetization measurements using a Gd5(Si1.95Ge2.05) single crystal with the magnetic field applied along three crystallographic directions, [001], [010] and [100], were carried out as a function of the applied field (0–56 kOe) at various temperatures (∼5–320 K). The magnetic field (H)–temperature (T) phase diagrams were constructed for theGd5(Si1.95Ge2.05) single crystal with field along the three directions. A small anisotropy was observed. The magnetocaloric effect was calculated from isothermal magnetization data, and the observed anisotropy correlates with the H–T phase diagrams. The results are discussed in connection with the magnetic field induced martensitic-like structural transition observed in Gd5(Si2Ge2)-type compounds

Phase relationships and structural, magnetic, and thermodynamic properties of alloys in the pseudobinary Er5Si4-Er5Ge4 system

The room temperature crystal structures of Er5SixGe4−x alloys change systematically with the concentration of Ge from the orthorhombic Gd5Si4-type when x=4, to the monoclinic Gd5Si2Ge2 type when 3.5⩽x⩽3.9 and to the orthorhombic Sm5Ge4 type forx⩽3. The Curie-Weiss behavior of Er5SixGe4−x materials is consistent with the Er3+ state. The compounds order magnetically below 30 K, apparently adopting complex noncollinear magnetic structures with magnetization not reaching saturation in 50 kOe magnetic fields. In Er5Si4, the structural-only transformation from the monoclinic Gd5Si2Ge2-type to the orthorhombic Gd5Si4-type phase occurs around 218 K on heating. Intriguingly, the temperature of this polymorphic transformation is weakly dependent on magnetic fields as low as 40 kOe (dT∕dH=−0.058 K∕kOe) when the material is in the paramagnetic state nearly 200 K above its spontaneous magnetic ordering temperature. It appears that a magnetostructural transition may be induced in the 5:4 erbium silicide at ∼18 K and above by 75 kOe and higher magnetic fields. Only Er5Si4 but none of the other studied Er5SixGe4−x alloys exhibit magnetic field induced transformations, which are quite common in the closely related Gd5SixGe4−x system. The magnetocaloric effects of the Er5SixGe4−x alloys are moderate

Thermal expansion studies on the unusual first order transition of Gd5Si2.09Ge1.91: effects of purity of Gd

Two polycrystalline samples were made by using high purity Gd and commercial Gd, respectively, but with Si and Ge starting materials of the same purity in both cases. Thermal expansion results showed that both samples exhibited a first order phase transformation, with a discontinuity in thermally-induced strain and with hysteresis in the Curie temperature.Magnetic force microscopy has been used to demonstrate the magnetic phase transformation process from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic upon cooling. It was found that the Curie temperature was lower and the thermally-induced strain higher, in the sample made from lower purity level Gd starting materials compared with the sample made from high purity Gd metal. These results indicate that the impurities (mainly C, O, N, and F) in the Gd starting material can significantly alter the strain and Curie temperature of Gd5(SixGe1−x)4alloys

Elastic properties of Gd5Si2Ge2 studied with an ultrasonic pulse-echo technique

We present the results of a study of the elastic properties of Gd5Si2Ge2, an alloy with giant magnetocaloric, magnetostrictive, and colossal magnetoresistive properties. Sound wave velocities measured in a number of different geometries allowed us to determine the whole elastic tensor for the monoclinic phase of this material. The anisotropy of the crystal is explored using the polar plots of the variations in the main crystallographic planes of the sound speed, the Young’s modulus, the shear modulus, and the linear compressibility. The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the Gd5Si2Ge2 properties is clarified. The acoustical axes are determined. The bulk modulus is estimated as 68.5 GPa; the Debye temperature is 250 K

Magnetic properties of single-crystal DyAl2

We measured the magnetic properties and heat capacity of three DyAl2 single crystals with the magnetic field oriented along the three principal crystallographic directions: [100], [110], and [111]. The isothermal entropy change versus temperature curves were obtained from heat capacity and magnetization data for these directions. The experimental results were successfully explained by a mean field model that includes spin reorientation, exchange interactions, and crystalline electric field effects. The anomalous magnetocaloric effect along the [111] direction predicted by theory was confirmed experimentally

Enhanced magnetocaloric effect in frustrated magnets

The magnetothermodynamics of strongly frustrated classical Heisenberg antiferromagnets on kagome, garnet, and pyrochlore lattices is examined. The field induced adiabatic temperature change (dT/dH)_S is significantly larger for such systems compared to ordinary non-frustrated magnets and also exceeds the cooling rate of an ideal paramagnet in a wide range of fields. An enhancement of the magnetocaloric effect is related to presence of a macroscopic number of soft modes in frustrated magnets below the saturation field. Theoretical predictions are confirmed with extensive Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 7 page