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Analysis of the crystallographic and magnetic structures of the Tb0.1Pr0.9Al2 and Tb0.25Pr0.75Al2 magnetocaloric compounds by means of neutron scattering

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Abstract

Neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering data were used to simulate and understand the magnetization and heat capacity curves of the pseudobinary Tb x Pr1−x Al2, with x = 0.10 and 0.25, as a function of temperature. From the Rietveld analysis, we concluded that no crystallographic transition occurs in these samples, and the high symmetry of the magnetic structure was confirmed. Moreover, the different contributions from the reflection planes could be related to the known exchange bias-like effect characteristic for the x = 0.25 sample, also suggesting the existence of some rearrangement of the magnetic moments or even the presence of spin frustration in this system. Finally, the obtained set of theoretical parameters using the mean field approach for the two systems consisting of two sublattices allowed the experimental data to be described and to explain their physical behaviors. The ensemble of our results leads us to affirm that the quadrupolar interactions as well as an existence of some rearrangement of the magnetic moments or a frustration play an important role in the strong unidirectional anisotropy and the exchange bias-like effect observed in this pseudobinary system.

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Acknowledgements

JCGT greatly thanks Dimitri Argyriou (ESS, Sweden), Walter Kalceff (University of Technology, Australia), and Vinícius S. R. de Sousa (UERJ, Brazil) for providing fruitful discussions. The research of JCGT at the NBI was supported by the Brazilian Science Without Borders program (funds from CNPq), and further support was also provided by the Brazilian agencies FAPESP, Capes, and CNPq. The work performed at the large-scale facilities by JCGT, NCB and HNB was financed by Danscatt, while measurements performed on E9 (JCGT and HNB) and on TOFTOF (JCGT and NBC) were supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme through the ‘Research Infrastructures’ action of the ‘Capacities’ Programme, NMI3-II Grant number 283883. The authors gratefully acknowledge ISIS for the provision of beam time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Julio C. G. Tedesco & Heloisa N. Bordallo

  2. Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory – LNLS, Campinas, SP, 13083-100, Brazil

    Alexandre Magnus G. Carvalho

  3. Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Niels Bech Christensen

  4. ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, OX11 Harwell Oxford, Didcot, UK

    Winfried Kockelmann & Mark T. F. Telling

  5. Helmoltz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (HZB), 14109, Berlin, Germany

    Fabiano Yokaichiya & Daniel M. Többens

  6. Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) and Physics Department, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany

    Giovanna G. Simeoni

  7. Institute of Physics “Gleb Wataghin”, Estate University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-859, Brazil

    Lisandro P. Cardoso & Adelino A. Coelho

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  1. Julio C. G. Tedesco
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  2. Alexandre Magnus G. Carvalho
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  11. Heloisa N. Bordallo
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Correspondence to Julio C. G. Tedesco.

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Tedesco, J.C.G., Carvalho, A.M.G., Christensen, N.B. et al. Analysis of the crystallographic and magnetic structures of the Tb0.1Pr0.9Al2 and Tb0.25Pr0.75Al2 magnetocaloric compounds by means of neutron scattering. J Mater Sci 50, 2884–2892 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8851-1

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