Complex magnetic ground state driving a large rotating magnetocaloric effect in Tb3Ni at low temperature
The rotating magnetocaloric effect (RMCE) offers a promising alternative to conventional magnetocaloric configurations by taking advantage of magnetic anisotropy to simplify device architecture and enhance refrigeration efficiency. In this study, the RMCE in a high-quality single crystal of Tb3Ni is...
| Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad del País Vasco |
| Repository: | Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:addi________::0f2fe6f1384c93df169786e5d70ffe26 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10810/79675 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | magnetocalorics intermetallics magnetic ordering neutron diffraction |
| Summary: | The rotating magnetocaloric effect (RMCE) offers a promising alternative to conventional magnetocaloric configurations by taking advantage of magnetic anisotropy to simplify device architecture and enhance refrigeration efficiency. In this study, the RMCE in a high-quality single crystal of Tb3Ni is investigated, a compound previously shown to exhibit significant magnetocaloric behavior along its easy axis of magnetization. By measuring the magnetization and corresponding entropy change along the three principal crystallographic axes using a discontinuous measurement protocol, we verify the anisotropic magnetic properties and derive the RMCE from rotations between hard (a, b) and easy (c) axes of magnetization. Our results show a maximum value for the rotating entropy change of 19.5 J kg−1 K−1 for µ0H = 7 T around 60 K, within the critical temperature window for industrial gas liquefaction applications. Neutron diffraction and magnetic Pair-Distribution Function (mPDF) analysis reveal that the origin of this large anisotropic response lies in a partially ordered incommensurate spin-density wave phase and persistent short-range ferromagnetic (FM) correlations. These complex magnetic states enable the release of a substantial amount of magnetic entropy when the field is applied along the easy c-axis, effectively driving the large RMCE. Comparison with other RMCE materials confirms Tb3Ni as one of the most promising candidates in this temperature regime, offering both a large magnetic entropy change and a wide operating window. |
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