Designed materials with the giant magnetocaloric effect near room temperature. (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Biswas, Anis; Pathak, Arjun K.; Zarkevich, Nikolai A.; Liu, Xubo; Mudryk, Yaroslav; Balema, Viktor; Johnson, Duane D.; Pecharsky, Vitalij K.
• Is Part Of: Acta materialia. Volume 180(2019)
• Page Start: 341
• Page End: 348
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Giant magnetocaloric effect -- Magnetic refrigeration -- Magnetostructural transition -- Barocaloric effect; Materials -- Periodicals; Materials science -- Periodicals; Materials -- Mechanical properties -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; 620.112
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2019.09.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6454

Abstract

Abstract: The coupling between structural and magnetic degrees of freedom is crucial for realization of interesting physical phenomena associated with magneto-structural transformations resembling austenite-to-martensite transitions. Despite substantial efforts in design and discovery of materials with strong magnetocaloric effects, a majority of viable candidates are composed of non-earth-abundant and toxic elements, while others involve challenging syntheses and post processing. Guided by advanced density functional theory calculations, we report a new family of compounds, i.e., Mn0.5 Fe0.5 NiSi1-x Alx [ x = 0.045–0.07] exhibiting a giant magnetocaloric effect (MCE) that is tunable near room temperature. Their MCE functionality arises from a distinct magneto-structural transformation between a paramagnetic hexagonal Ni2 In-type phase and ferromagnetic orthorhombic TiNiSi-type phase that can be actuated by magnetic field and/or pressure. As the transition is sensitive to external hydrostatic pressure, the same materials should also exhibit a strong barocaloric response in addition to the giant MCE. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract