Europium substitution effects on structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

• Main Authors: Boujelben W., Krichene A., Cheikhrouhou A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2012-06-01
• Series: EPJ Web of Conferences
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20122900045

We have investigated structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline samples La0.5-xEuxCa0.5MnO3 (x=0 and 0.1). Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns show that our samples are single phase and crystallize in the orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group. Magnetization measurements versus temperature at a magnetic applied field of 500 Oe indicate that La0.4Eu0.1Ca0.5MnO3 sample exhibits a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. Magnetic measurements reveal strong magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of the Curie temperature TC. The parent compound shows a negative magnetic entropy change of ∆SM=−1.13Jkg−1K−1 at 220K and a positive magnetocaloric effects ∆SM=1Jkg−1K−1 at 150K under a magnetic applied field of 2T. La0.4Eu0.1Ca0.5MnO3 exhibits a maximum value of magnetic entropy change ∆SM=−1.15Jkg−1K−1 at 130K under an applied field of 2T and a large relative cooling power RCP with a maximum value of 72 J/kg.