Magnetic molecular clusters as promising materials for refrigeration in low-temperature regions

Abstract

A wide class of magnetic molecular materials - molecular clusters with high magnetic moment containing 3d transition metals (such as `Fe8', `Mn12ac', etc) - have been considered from the point of view of their use as refrigerants in low-temperature regions. The consideration was made in the framework of the model based on the Langevin theory of a superparamagnet. The magnetic entropy change caused by a change in an external magnetic field was calculated for various magnetic clusters. The estimations made show that the magnetic molecular clusters could be promising materials for magnetic refrigeration in low-temperature regions (below about 20 K).