Influence of thermal conductivity on the dynamic response of magnetocaloric materials

We compare the magnetocaloric effect of samples prepared with different thermal conductivities to investigate the potential of composite materials. By applying the magnetic field under operating conditions we test the material’s response and compare this to heat transfer simulations in order to check the reliability of the adiabatic temperature change probe used. As a result of this study we highlight how the material’s thermal conductivity influences τ , the time constant of temperature change. This parameter ultimately limits the maximum frequency of a refrigerant cycle and offers fundamental information about the correlation between thermal conductivity and the magnetocaloric effect

MAGNETOCALORIC EFFECT AND THERMAL TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT IN LANTHANUM MANGANITES

This thesis investigates two challenges associated with the use of manganites for magnetocaloric applications. The first challenge is associated with methods to engineer the thermal conductivity, K. The second challenge is to understand the limits of the entropy change achievable in magnetocaloric manganites. Thermal management has been achieved via different microstructuring routes and their influence on thermal transport properties such as K, resistivity and thermopower, have been studied. A factor of two increase in K is demonstrated by using density and grain size optimization, while three-fold and six-fold increases are seen by employing the introduction of a second highly conductive phase via: (1) silver impregnation and silver particle coating and (2) copper electroplating, respectively. Understanding the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) characteristics in manganites has been achieved by bringing together magnetisation, magneto-structural, magneto-Seebeck, and neutron diffraction independent measurements. We first show that the temperature T* up to which a spontaneous magnetisation is observed in the inverse magnetic susceptibility of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and La0.7Ba0.3MnO3 above Tc, is related to the transition temperature of the low temperature (high-magnetic field and high-magnetisation) magnetic phase. In the most widely studied La(1-x)CaxMnO3 (x = 0.2, 0.25, 0.3), we then conclude that unlike between the degree of static Jahn-Teller distortion and the interval [T*-Tc]/Tc where we show that there exists a close relationship, there is no apparent correlation between the magnitude of the MCE and [T*-Tc]/Tc . We then unravel the competing strength of the various degrees of freedom and show that the inhibition of a large magnetocaloric response is due to the strong correlations that underpin the collosal magnetoresistance effect: both clustering of magnetic Mn atoms due to polaron formation and the insulator to metal transition. Finally we discuss prospects to improve material properties for application in light of these findings.Open Acces

Electron Accumulation and Emergent Magnetism in LaMnO_{3}/SrTiO_{3} Heterostructures.

Emergent phenomena at polar-nonpolar oxide interfaces have been studied intensely in pursuit of next-generation oxide electronics and spintronics. Here we report the disentanglement of critical thicknesses for electron reconstruction and the emergence of ferromagnetism in polar-mismatched LaMnO_{3}/SrTiO_{3} (001) heterostructures. Using a combination of element-specific x-ray absorption spectroscopy and dichroism, and first-principles calculations, interfacial electron accumulation, and ferromagnetism have been observed within the polar, antiferromagnetic insulator LaMnO_{3}. Our results show that the critical thickness for the onset of electron accumulation is as thin as 2 unit cells (UC), significantly thinner than the observed critical thickness for ferromagnetism of 5 UC. The absence of ferromagnetism below 5 UC is likely induced by electron overaccumulation. In turn, by controlling the doping of the LaMnO_{3}, we are able to neutralize the excessive electrons from the polar mismatch in ultrathin LaMnO_{3} films and thus enable ferromagnetism in films as thin as 3 UC, extending the limits of our ability to synthesize and tailor emergent phenomena at interfaces and demonstrating manipulation of the electronic and magnetic structures of materials at the shortest length scales