Role of coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases on the magnetocaloric effect in metamagnetic Tb2Ni2Sn

TL;DR

This study investigates how coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases influence the magnetocaloric effect in Tb2Ni2Sn, revealing complex magnetic transitions and temperature-dependent magnetocaloric behaviors.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetocaloric properties of Tb2Ni2Sn, highlighting the role of magnetic phase coexistence and metamagnetic transitions.

Findings

Inverse magnetocaloric effect in antiferromagnetic dominant range

Positive magnetocaloric effect near Neel temperature

Magnetocaloric variation linked to ferromagnetic fraction

Abstract

We report the anomalous magnetocaloric behavior in the polycrystalline compound Tb2Ni2Sn. The magnetization measurements show that this compound shows multiple magnetic transitions, which are attributed to the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases at low temperatures. With increase in field and temperature, the compound undergoes a metamagnetic transition to a ferromagnetic state. In the temperature range where the antiferromagnetic phase is dominant, it exhibits inverse (negative) magnetocaloric effect. At temperatures close to the Neel temperature, the compound shows positive magnetocaloric effect. Below the critical field needed for the metamagnetic transition, the temperature variation of the magnetocaloric effect is seen to be correlated with the ferromagnetic fraction.