Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric investigations in Pr0.6-xErxCa0.1Sr0.3MnO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.06) manganites

We studied the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.6-xErxCa0.1Sr0.3MnO3 (0 <= x <= 0.06) perovskite manganites. The samples were synthesized using the solid-state reaction at high temperature and were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that all compounds were found to be single phase and crystallize in the orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group. Magnetization measurements show that all compounds exhibit a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. The Curie temperature T-C decreases with increasing erbium content from 275 K for x = 0-220 K for x = 0.06. From the M (H) curves, the maximum of the magnetic entropy change vertical bar Delta S-M(max)vertical bar under a magnetic field change of 5T was found to be 4.35 J kg(-1) K-1 for x=0.04 which corresponds to a relative cooling power (RCP) about 321 J/kg under the same applied magnetic field. The sensitivity of magnetic entropy change to magnetic field is estimated by the local exponent n (T, mu H-0) which determines the field dependence of the experimental vertical bar Delta S-M vertical bar. Moreover, rescaled entropy data for all samples collapses into the same universal curve, revealing universal behavior for the magnetocaloric effect in these compounds. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.