Investigations on magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects in electron-doped La1-xZrxMnO3

Abstract

Considering the fact that solid-state refrigerants have attracted great attention, we report here the studies related to the magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of electron-doped La1-xZrxMnO3 (x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) samples synthesized by solid-state reaction. It is observed that there is an increase in magnetization with an increase in Zr doping up to x = 0.15. The isothermal magnetization versus applied magnetic field was used to calculate the magnetic entropy change vertical bar Delta S-m vertical bar for La1-xZrxMnO3 (x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) at varying temperatures (100-300 K). Increase in vertical bar Delta S-m vertical bar value from 0.6 J kg(-1) K-1 to 2.08 J kg(-1) K-1 is noted with increase in Zr doping from x = 0.05 to x = 0.15, respectively. The relative cooling power (RCP) value of La0.85Zr0.15MnO3 is found to be 142.50 J kg(-1) at H = 50 kOe and is comparable with earlier reported MCE compounds. Furthermore, Banerjee's criteria and Landau theory of phase transitions were also studied to access magnetic ordering in the samples. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.