Magnetocaloric effect in antiferromagnetic TmNiSn compound

The low-temperature magnetic, thermal, electrical transport and magnetocaloric properties of the TmNiSn compound were investigated. A polycrystalline sample was prepared by arc-melting. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of TmNiSn with orthorhombic TiNiSi-type crystal structure (space group Prima, no. 62). It was found that TmNiSn undergoes paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic state transition at the Neel temperature T-N = 2.4 K. A week inflection of isothermal magnetization curve taken at 1.8 K, can indicate a spin-flop transition. Magnetocaloric properties obtained from isothermal magnetization curves demonstrate positive and negative magnetocaloric effect. In the magnetic field change of 3 T the maximum magnetic entropy change of - 10.5 J/(kg K) was obtained at 3.5 K along with the corresponding relative cooling power (RCP) value of 81 J/K. The electrical resistivity result shows metallic behavior from 2 K up to 400 K with clear anomaly at T-N.