Investigation of the crystal structure and cryogenic magnetic properties of <i>RE</i>2<i>T</i>2Al (<i>RE</i> = Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm; <i>T</i> = Co and Ni) compounds

Abstract

The crystal structure, and cryogenic magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in RE2T2Al (RE = Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm; T = Co and Ni) compounds have been investigated. All the compounds belong to an orthorhombic W2B2Co-type structure (Immm space group). A second order paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition exists for RE2Co2Al compounds at TC = 62, 27, 32, and 11.5 K, whereas the compounds of RE2Ni2Al undergo a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase transition with the Néel temperatures (TN) of 19, 12, 12.5, and 6 K for RE = Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm, respectively. Moreover, an additional low temperature magnetic transition occurs for all present RE2T2Al compounds. An obvious hysteresis was observed at a low temperature in the Dy2Co2Al, Ho2Co2Al, and Er2Co2Al compounds. The values of the maximum magnetic entropy change (−ΔSMmax) are 10.4, 11.5, 5.9, 7.7, 6.0, and 16.2 J/kg K for Dy2Co2Al, Ho2Co2Al, Er2Co2Al, Tm2Co2Al, Ho2Ni2Al, and Er2Ni2Al compounds with a field change (ΔH) of 0-5 T, respectively. Moreover, two peaks (or shoulder) in the −ΔSM (T) curves of Ho2Co2Al can be observed, which lead to a wide cooling temperature interval.