Abstract
In the present work we report on the structural and magnetic behaviors of the PrNi5�xCox intermetallic compounds. Due to the competition between the anisotropy energies of both Co and Pr sublattices, this series has a spin-reorientation phenomenon at low temperature 140 K. The Curie temperature, as a function of Co content, has a sudden increase above a critical concentration xc 1.9 and this feature is assigned as a percolation of geometrically spaced Co clusters. This assumption is explained based on the critical exponent of percolation theory. The series presents therefore a rich magnetic phase diagram, which could be established over a full doping range, i.e., from x =0 tox = 5. We have also studied these compounds on the magnetocaloric point of view and found a quite large full width at half maximum TFWHM of the magnetic entropy change curves for some of the compositions, due to the merging of the S peaks associated with the spin-reorientation process and the Curie temperature TC. In addition, the series has an appreciable relative cooling power, which is therefore suitable to be used in a magnetic refrigerator operating in a large range of temperature.
Published Version
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