Particle size dependent hysteresis loss in La0.7Ce0.3Fe11.6Si1.4C0.2 first-order systems

Here, we report particle size dependent hysteresis loss in La0.7Ce0.3Fe11.6Si1.4C0.2. Hysteresis loss was getting smaller with reducing the particle size. The reduced ratio can be as high as ∼61% as the sample is ground from bulk into small particles (20-50 μm). Such reduction can be ascribed to the notably increased surface area of sample and the partially removed internal strain and grain boundaries, other than nucleation factors and electronic band structure. Meanwhile, entropy change |ΔS| slightly decreases, but the effective refrigeration capacity shows an increase due to the notable reduction of hysteresis loss. Our investigations also reveal particle size limitation. When the size is below 10 μm (average ∼ 4 μm), the sample may lose its stability and the |ΔS| notably reduces.