Multicaloric effect and spin-wave excitation in the YMn0.5Cr0.5O3 compound

Abstract

Abstract We have studied magneto- and electro-caloric effects in multiferroic YMn0.5Cr0.5O3 compound, which has a ferrimagnetic transition at TN ∼73 K. Two peaks in the temperature dependence of isothermal magnetic entropy change ΔSM can be observed at TN and lower T0, respectively. While the first maximum of ΔSM corresponds to the ferrimagnetic transition as expected, the second one might be related to a metamagnetic transition. Using the Maxwell’s relation, an electric field driven entropy change (−ΔSE) has also been obtained at temperatures around TN, revealing the multicaloric effect in the YMCO sample. Temperature dependence of the specific-heat confirms the second-order feature for the ferrimagnetic transition in YMCO. By fitting the specific-heat and magnetization data at low temperatures according to the spin-wave excitation model, the nearest neighboring exchange integral J12 has been estimated to be around 10−4 eV, which is in agreement with the value gained from the molecular field theory.