Effect of spin reorientation on magnetocaloric and transport properties of NdAl2

Abstract

We report the magneto-thermal and resistive properties of rare-earth dialuminide NdAl2, including spin reorientation transition. To this purpose, we used a theoretical model that considers the interactions of exchange and Zeeman, besides the anisotropy due to the electrical crystal field. The theoretical results obtained were compared to experimental data of the NdAl2 in single crystal and bulk forms. Explicitly, we have calculated the anisotropic variation of magnetic entropy with the magnetic field oriented along the three principal crystallographic directions: [100], [110], and [111] of NdAl2 single crystal, where a signature of the spin reorientation is observed in the [110] and [111] directions. Moreover, of magnetoresistivity we consider the applied magnetic field along the crystallographic directions [100] and [110]. In turn, for the polycrystalline form, the good agreement between theory and experiment confirms the presence of spin reorientation, which was predicted theoretically in magnetization curves.