摘要
We have studied the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of the Er3Co compound, which undergoes ferromagnetic ordering below the Curie temperature Tc = 13 K. It is found by fitting the isothermal magnetization curves that the Landau model is appropriate to describe the Er3Co compound. The giant magnetocaloric effect （MCE） without hysteresis loss around Tc is found to result from the second-order ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic transition. The max- imal value of magnetic entropy change is 24.5 J/kg.K with a refrigerant capacity （RC） value of 476 J/kg for a field change of 0-5 T. Large reversible MEC and RC indicate the potentiality of Er3Co as a candidate magnetic refrigerant at low temperatures.
We have studied the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of the Er3Co compound, which undergoes ferromagnetic ordering below the Curie temperature Tc = 13 K. It is found by fitting the isothermal magnetization curves that the Landau model is appropriate to describe the Er3Co compound. The giant magnetocaloric effect （MCE） without hysteresis loss around Tc is found to result from the second-order ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic transition. The max- imal value of magnetic entropy change is 24.5 J/kg.K with a refrigerant capacity （RC） value of 476 J/kg for a field change of 0-5 T. Large reversible MEC and RC indicate the potentiality of Er3Co as a candidate magnetic refrigerant at low temperatures.
基金
Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB601101)
the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50731007)
the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
