Effect of Ce doping on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.5Sr0.5−xCexMnO3manganites

AbstractThe magnetic and magnetocaloric effects of manganites of Pr0.5Sr0.5−xCexMnO3 (x = 0, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.1) prepared by standard solid-state reaction method are investigated. Large magnetic entropy changes (ΔSm) with the ferromagnetic–paramagnetic transition have been found. The ΔSm and Curie temperature (TC) gradually increase with increasing Ce content. The maximum of magnetic entropy change in a low magnetic change of 15 kOe is about −1.93 J kg−1 K−1 for x = 0.1 sample with a TC value of 310 K. Due to the large ΔSm and tunable TC around the room temperature, it is suggested that Pr0.5Sr0.5−xCexMnO3 could be used as desirable active room temperature magnetic refrigerants.Keywords: ceramicsmagnetic materialsmagnetocaloric propertiesCurie temperature AcknowledgmentsThis work was supported by Project of Zhejiang Province Innovative Research Team (No. 2010R50016), the Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Y6100640) National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51001092) and National Public Interest Research Special (No. 201210107).