N. K. Sun

Giant room-temperature magnetocaloric effect in Mn1−xCrxAs

A giant magnetocaloric effect was observed at room temperature in Mn1−xCrxAs compounds with x=0.006 and 0.01. The Cr dopant reduces (or even eliminates) the large thermal hysteresis of MnAs, while it lowers the first-order transition temperature from 313K for MnAs to 265K for Mn0.99Cr0.01As. Near the Curie temperature, a magnetic field induces a first-order phase transition from a ferromagnetic hexagonal phase to a paramagnetic orthorhombic phase, leading to a maximum value of ΔSM of 20.2J∕kgK at 267K for a 5T field change for Mn0.99Cr0.01As. The study on the Mn1−xCrxAs system may open an important field in searching proper materials for room-temperature magnetic refrigeration.

Large room-temperature magnetocaloric effects in Fe0.8Mn1.5As

In Fe0.8Mn1.5As compound, an external magnetic field induces a metamagnetic transition from an antiferromagnetic phase to a ferrimagnetic phase above Ts=285K, leading to large magnetocaloric effects around room temperature. Instead of showing inverse magnetocaloric effects, the sign of the entropy change ΔSM in the compound is unexpectedly negative, revealing a different mechanism. The maximum value of ΔSM is 6.2J∕kgK at 287.5K for a magnetic field change of 5T. The study on systems with antiferromagnetism-related metamagnetic transitions may open an important field in searching good materials for room-temperature magnetic refrigeration.

Large cryogenic magnetocaloric effect of DyCo2 nanoparticles without encapsulation

The structure and formation of nanoparticles without encapsulation of the intermetallic compound DyCo2 were investigated by using x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The DyCo2 nanoparticles are stable in air without any shell protection. A large magnetic-entropy change of 13.2Jkg−1K−1 was found at 7.5K in an applied-field change from 1to7T, which is ascribed to the large magnetic moment density and the weak interaction energy in the nanoparticles. Such oxidation-resistant rare-earth transition-metal compound nanoparticles with large cryogenic magnetocaloric effect are useful for refrigeration applications at low temperatures.

Magnetic properties and enhanced magnetic refrigeration in (Mn1−xFex)5Ge3 compounds

Magnetic and magnetocaloric effects of (Mn1-xFex)(5)Ge-3 compounds are studied systematically. The maximum of magnetic entropy changes of 8.01 J/kg K under an external field change of 5 T is obtained for (Mn0.9Fe0.1)(5)Ge-3, which is the largest value in Mn5Ge3-based solid solutions. Moreover, the Fe substitution increases the refrigeration capacity (RC) value greatly. The largest RC value of 237 J/kg in (Mn0.8Fe0.2)(5)Ge-3 even compares favorably to that of many well-known magnetic refrigeration materials. Thus the Fe-containing (Mn1-xFex)(5)Ge-3 compounds are much-improved magnetic refrigerants for the application of room-temperature magnetic refrigeration. The increase of the RC value is probably resulted from the formation of magnetic nanostructure. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Large magnetoresistance over an entire region from 5 to 380 K in double helical CoMnSi compound

A large magnetoresistance (MR) is observed in a double helical CoMnSi compound over the entire temperature region from 5 K to the maximum measuring temperature of 380 K, with the largest MR ratio of -18.3% at 245 K and the smallest MR ratio of -5.5% at 85 K at 5 T. This phenomenon is ascribed to two different mechanisms in different temperature regions. The suppressed spin fluctuations of the double helical structure are responsible for the MR below 110 K. However, in consideration of the natural multilayer superstructure of CoMnSi, the larger MR above 110 K is ascribed to the decrease in K-space restrictions when the change in magnetic structure from double helical order to fan order occurs.

Magnetic, electronic transport and magneto-transport behaviours of (Co1−xMnx)2P compounds

Magnetic, electronic transport and magneto-transport behaviours of (Co1-xMnx)(2)P (0.55 <= x <= 0.675) compounds have been systematically investigated. A typical metallic-conductivity behaviour is observed in the ferromagnetic compound (Co0.45Mn0.55)(2)P. The increase in the Mn concentration gives rise to dramatic changes in magnetic, electronic transport and magneto-transport behaviours. With increasing temperature, a first-order phase transition from antiferromagnetism to ferromagnetism takes place at about 145 K, 185K and 240K for x = 0.60, 0.625 and 0.65, respectively. (Co0.4Mn0.6)(2)P and (Co0.375Mn0.625)(2)P compounds experience a metal-insulator transition (Anderson transition) with decreasing temperature. An external magnetic field of 5 T strongly influences the Anderson transition, lowering the transition temperature from 80 to 55K for (Co0.4Mn0.6)(2)P and from 115 to 70K for (Co0.375Mn0.625)(2)P. In contrast with this metal-insulator transition, an insulating behaviour appears in the temperature range from 10 to 300K for (Co0.35Mn0.65)(2)P and (Co0.325Mn0.675)(2)P compounds. Below the antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic transition temperature TAF-F, a metamagnetic transition can be induced by an external magnetic field. The metamagnetic transition is accompanied by a maximum magnetoresistance ratio of -7%, -6.3% or -3.7% at 5 T in the (Co0.4Mn0.6)(2)P, (Co0.375Mn0.625)(2)P or (Co0.35Mn0.65)(2)P compound at 10 K. The mechanisms of magnetoresistive behaviours are discussed in terms of the formation of a super-zone gap in the antiferromagnetic state.