Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in a Laves phase compound ~$\mbox{Er}_2\mbox{Rh}_{3}\mbox{Si}$

Abstract

The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect of an intermetallic compound $\mathrm{Er_2Rh_3Si}$ was investigated by performing temperature dependence of dc- and ac-magnetic susceptibility and isothermal magnetizations. Polycrystalline $\mathrm{Er_2Rh_3Si}$ compound with $\mathrm{Mg_2Ni_3Si}$-type of rhombohedral Laves phases (space group $R\overline{3}m$, hR18) structure was synthesized by arc-melting method. The ac- and dc-magnetic susceptibility results revealed that the compound exhibited ferromagnetic order with $T_C$ $\approx$ 18 K. The obtained isothermal magnetic entropy changes ($\Delta S_m$), and relative power cooling for a change of magnetic field 0-9 T are 10.1~$\mathrm{J.~kg^{-1}.~K^{-1}}$, and 255 J. kg$^{-1}$ respectively. Arrott plots and also the universal scaling plot by rescaled temperature axis and normalized $\Delta S_m$ collapse onto a one curve for independent of magnetic fields, confirming a second-order ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition in $\mathrm{Er_2Rh_3Si}$.