Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Ni, Co) and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La)

Authors

Arjun K. Pathak, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Igor Dubenko, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Shane Stadler, Louisiana State University
Naushad Ali, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Comments

© 2011 American Institute of Physics

Published in Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 109 No. 7 (2011) at doi: 10.1063/1.3544509

Abstract

Phase compositions and crystal structures of Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Ni, Co) and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La) have been studied. The magnetic properties of Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Ni, Co) and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La) have been evaluated from magnetization measurements performed by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer in a temperature interval of 5–400 K, and at magnetic fields up to 5 T. The crystal structures of Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Co, Ni) and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La) were found to be hexagonal at 300 K. The Curie temperature (T_C), effective and magnetic moment of the compounds (at 5 K) have been determined for Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Ni, Co), and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La). T_C was found to depend on composition, and reaches maximum value of about 300 K for the Gd₆X₂Si₃ system. The magnetocaloric effect (magnetic entropy changes and relative cooling power (RCP) was found to depend on X and Ln, and the maximum RCP values were found to be larger than 500 J/kg near room temperature for the Gd₆Ni₂Si₃ and Gd₆Co₂Si₃ compounds. This value of RCP is comparable to the prototype magnetic refrigeration material, Gd.

Recommended Citation

Pathak, Arjun K., Dubenko, Igor, Stadler, Shane and Ali, Naushad. "Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Gd₆X₂Si₃ (X = Ni, Co) and Ln₆Co₂Si₃ (Ln = Pr, La)." (Apr 2011).