Anisotropic magnetocaloric effect and critical behavior in CrCl$_3$

TL;DR

This study investigates the anisotropic magnetocaloric effect and critical magnetic behavior in CrCl₃, revealing significant entropy change and critical exponents near the ferromagnetic transition, with implications for magnetic cooling applications.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of the anisotropic magnetocaloric effect and critical behavior in CrCl₃, including critical exponents close to the tricritical mean field model.

Findings

Maximum magnetic entropy change of 14.6 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ near T_c

Universal scaling of magnetic entropy change curves

Critical exponents consistent with tricritical mean field theory

Abstract

We report anisotropic magnetocaloric effect and magnetic critical behavior in van der Waals crystal CrCl$_3$. The maximum magnetic entropy change $-\Delta S_M^{max} \sim 14.6$ J kg$^{-1}$ K$^{-1}$ and the relative cooling power $RCP \sim 340.3$ J kg$^{-1}$ near $T_c$ with a magnetic field change of 5 T are much larger when compared to CrI$_{3}$ or CrBr$_{3}$. The rescaled $\Delta S_M(T,H)$ curves collapse onto a universal curve, confirming the second order ferromagnetic transition. Further critical behavior analysis around $T_c$ presents a set of critical exponents $\beta$ = 0.28(1) with $T_c$ = 19.4(2) K, $\gamma$ = 0.89(1) with $T_c$ = 18.95(8) K, and $\delta$ = 4.6(1) at $T_c$ = 19 K, which are close to those of theoretical tricritical mean field model.