Multiple magnetic transitions and magnetocaloric effect in Gd1-xSmxMn2Ge2 compounds

Abstract

Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline samples of Gd1-xSmxMn2Ge2 have been studied. All the compounds except GdMn2Ge2 show re-entrant ferromagnetic behavior. Multiple magnetic transitions observed in these compounds are explained on the basis of the temperature dependences of the exchange strengths of the rare earth and Mn sublattices. Magnetocaloric effect is found to be positive at the re-entrant ferromagnetic transition, whereas it is negative at the antiferro-ferromagnetic transition. In SmMn2Ge2, the magnetic entropy change associated with the re-entrant transition is found to decrease with field, which is attributed to the admixture effect of the crystal field levels. The isothermal magnetic entropy change is found to decrease with increase in Sm concentration.