Utilizing frustration in Gd- and Yb-based oxides for milli-Kelvin adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration

TL;DR

This paper reviews Gd- and Yb-based frustrated oxides that enable ultra-low temperature adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration, offering higher entropy and stability compared to traditional salts, and demonstrates their advantages in cooling below 2 K.

Contribution

It introduces and compares novel frustrated magnetic oxides for milli-Kelvin ADR, highlighting their superior entropy density, stability, and lower temperature capabilities over traditional materials.

Findings

Frustrated oxides enable cooling below 2 K with higher efficiency.

These materials have enhanced entropy density compared to hydrated salts.

They offer chemical stability, simplifying ADR device design.

Abstract

The manifold of energetically degenerate configurations arising from competing interactions in frustrated magnets gives rise to an enhanced entropy at lowest temperatures, which can be utilized for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR). We review structural and magnetic properties of various Yb- and Gd-based oxides featuring frustration related to different triangular moment configurations and (in some cases) structural randomness. In comparison to paramagnetic hydrated salts, which have traditionally been employed for mK-ADR, these novel ADR materials enable cooling to temperatures several times lower than the magnetic interaction strength, significantly enhancing the entropy density and cooling power at a given target temperature. A further advantage is their chemical stability, allowing for a much simpler ADR pill design and ultra-high vacuum applications. For the temperature range between 0.02 and 2 K, a systematic comparison of the field-induced entropy density change is provided, that illustrates the advantages of frustrated magnets for low-temperature ADR.