Magnetocaloric effect at the field-induced first order transition in rare earth metals and alloys

On the basis of a thermodynamic approach the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) arising at the first order transition in the heavy rare earth metals Tb, Dy, Er and Tb0.5Dy0.5 alloy is considered. The main contributions to the MCE (exchange, magnetoelastic, anisotropic and that due to magnetic energy) were calculated in the temperature interval corresponding to the first order transition. It was shown that the model adequately describes the MCE and gives results which are in accord with direct experimental measurements.