Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in Pr0.5M0.1Sr0.4MnO3 (M = Eu, Gd and Dy) polycristalline manganites

Highlights: → Pr0.5M0.1Sr0.4MnO3 (M = Eu, Gd and Dy) compounds exhibit a paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. → A large magnetocaloric effect is observed in our samples. → The maximum RCP value is about 294 J/kg under 5 T for Pr0.5Dy0.1Sr0.4MnO3 sample. → These results make our compounds potential candidates for magnetic refrigeration. - Abstract: Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.5M0.1Sr0.4MnO3 (M = Eu, Gd and Dy) powder samples have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements. Our samples have been synthesized using the solid state reaction method at high temperature. Rietveld refinements of the X-ray diffraction patterns show that all our samples are single phase and crystallize in the distorted orthorhombic system with Pbnm space group. Magnetization measurements versus temperature in a magnetic applied field of 50 mT show that all our samples exhibit a paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. The Curie temperature TC is found to be 270 K, 258 K and 248 K for M = Eu, Gd and Dy, respectively. Arrott plots show that all our samples exhibit a second order magnetic phase transition. From the measured magnetization data of Pr0.5M0.1Sr0.4MnO3 (M = Eu, Gd and Dy) samples as a function of magnetic applied field, the associated magnetic entropy change |ΔSM| and the relative cooling power RCP have been determined. In the vicinity of TC, |ΔSM| reached, in a magnetic applied field of 1 T, maximum values of 1.37 J/kg K, 1.23 J/kg K and 1.18 J/kg K for M = Eu, Gd and Dy, respectively.