Magnetocaloric effect and nature of magnetic transition in low dimensional DyCu2

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetocaloric effect and magnetic transition nature of low-dimensional DyCu2 flakes, revealing enhanced entropy change and nonlinear magnetic behavior, suggesting potential for broad-temperature magnetic refrigeration.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method to prepare DyCu2 flakes and analyzes their magnetocaloric properties and magnetic transition characteristics in low dimensions, highlighting increased entropy change and nonlinearity.

Findings

Magnetic entropy change (delta SM) is 4.31 J/kg·K.

delta SM peak broadens compared to bulk DyCu2.

Nonlinear M2 vs H by M behavior indicates random anisotropy or field.

Abstract

In this manuscript, we propose a method to prepare small flakes of DyCu2. On top of that we also report on the magnetocaloric effect and nature of magnetic transition of a strongly anisotropic DyCu2 in its low dimension. Magnetization measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 5 to 100 K and up to the maximum magnetic field strength of 50 kOe. Magnetic entropy change delta SM is estimated using the well known Maxwells equations and is found to be 4.31 J per kg K. Indeed, the delta SM peak broadened marginally compared with its bulk DyCu2 and such a broadening can be attributed to significant increase in the total grain boundary volume. As these small flakes consists larger delta SM values at temperatures higher than the Neel temperature TN, one can use them as a magnetic refrigerant material in a broad temperature range. We also plotted the M2 vs H by M in order to find the nature of magnetic transition. Arrott plots infer that indeed there exists nonlinearity in M2 vs H by M behavior and such nonlinear behavior is ascribed to the random anisotropy or a random field that is present in the system.