Nearly constant magnetic entropy change and adiabatic temperature change in PrGa compound

Abstract

The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of PrGa compound are studied in detail. Both thermomagnetization curves and heat capacity curves indicate that PrGa compound undergoes a transition from ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase at Tt ∼ 27 K and a transition from AFM to paramagnetic (PM) phase at T0 ∼ 37 K with increasing temperature. As the applied field increases, the magnetic state between Tt and T0 shows an obvious metamagnetic transition from AFM to FM state. The magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) calculated from magnetic property measurement and that obtained from heat capacity measurement are in good agreement with each other above 25 K. Instead of peak like distribution, nearly constant value of ΔSM in a temperature range from 29.5 K to 37.5 K is observed when the field change is 0–5 T. The adiabatic temperature change (ΔT) also shows similar change rules. This characteristic of MCE is very important for the practical applications of magnetic refrigerant materials.