The nature of the first order isostructural transition in GdRhSn

Sachin Gupta, K. G. Suresh, A. K. Nigam, Y. Mudryk, D. Paudyal, V. K. Pecharsky, K. A. Gschneidner

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    16 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We present structural, magnetic, thermal, magnetocaloric, and electrical transport properties of polycrystalline GdRhSn. Magnetization data show that it orders antiferromagnetically at TN = 16.2 K. The compound has the ZrNiAl type hexagonal crystal structure at room temperature and undergoes a first order iso-structural transition in the paramagnetic state at 245 K. The unit cell volume change at the transition is small (-0.07%) but discontinuous, in agreement with the first-order nature of the transition observed by magnetic, transport, and heat capacity measurements. The anisotropic changes of the lattice parameters are Δa/a = 0.28% and Δc/c = -0.64% on cooling. A substantial change in the 4f and conduction electron hybridization, giving rise to an increased integrated DOS, occurs when the high temperature phase transforms to the low temperature phase. A moderate magnetocaloric effect at TN (ΔSM = -6.5 J/kg K and ΔTad = 4.5 K for ΔH = 50 kOe) has been measured using both magnetization and heat capacity data.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)280-287
    Number of pages8
    JournalJournal of Alloys and Compounds
    Volume613
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014 Nov 15

    Keywords

    • Iso-structural transition
    • Magnetocaloric effect
    • Rare earth intermetallic

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Mechanics of Materials
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Metals and Alloys
    • Materials Chemistry

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