The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Gd5Ge2Si2 compound under hydrostatic pressure

Abstract

The Gd5Ge2Si2 compound presents a giant magnetocaloric effect with transition temperature at around 276 K and is a very good candidate for application as an active regenerator material in room temperature magnetic refrigerators. Recently it has been shown that pressure induces a colossal magnetocaloric effect in MnAs, a material that presents a giant magnetocaloric effect and a strong magnetoelastic coupling, as also happens with the Gd5Ge2Si2 compound. This motivated a search of the colossal effect in the Gd5Ge2Si2 compound. This work reports our measurements on the magnetic properties and the magnetocaloric effect of Gd5Ge2Si2 under hydrostatic pressures up to 9.2 kbar and as a function of temperature. Contrary to what happens with MnAs, pressure increases the Curie temperature of the compound, does not affect the saturation magnetization and decreases markedly its magnetocaloric effect.