Magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric effect in PrCo9Si4 and NdCo9Si4

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric effect in PrCo9Si4 and NdCo9Si4, revealing modest magnetocaloric responses and clarifying the nature of their magnetic transitions.

Contribution

It provides detailed low-temperature magnetic, heat-capacity, and resistivity measurements, showing the transitions are not first order and characterizing their magnetocaloric properties.

Findings

Modest magnetocaloric effect peaks at Curie temperature

Magnetoresistance correlates with magnetocaloric behavior

Magnetic transition is not first order

Abstract

The compounds, PrCo9Si4 and NdCo9Si4, have been recently reported to exhibit first-order ferromagnetic transitions near 24 K. We have subjected this compound for further characterization by magnetization, heat-capacity and electrical resistivity measurements at low temperatures in the presence of magnetic fields, particularly to probe magnetocaloric effect and magnetoresistance. The compounds are found to exhibit rather modest magnetocaloric effect at low temperatures peaking at Curie temperature, tracking the behavior of magnetoresistance. The magnetic transition does not appear to be first order in its character.