Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect of NdMn2-xCuxSi2 compounds

Structural and magnetic properties of NdMn2−x Cu xSi2 compounds (x = 0-1.0) have been investigated by high intensity x-ray and resolution neutron diffraction (3-450 K), specific heat, dc magnetization, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Substitution of Cu for Mn leads to an increase in the lattice parameter a but a decrease in c at room temperature. Two magnetic phase transitions have been found for NdMn2−x Cu xSi2 compounds with TN for the antiferromagnetic ordering of Mn-sublatttice and TC for the Nd-sublattice ferromagnetic ordering, respectively. TC increases significantly with increasing Cu content from 36 K at x = 0 to 100 K at x = 1.0. Moreover, it is found that the order of magnetic phase transition around TC also changes from first order at x < 0.6 to second order transition for x ≥ 0.6. The spontaneous magnetization found to decrease with the increase in Cu concentration which can be understood in the term of the dilution effect of Cu for Mn. The values of −ΔSM around TC decrease with increasing x from 27 J kg−1 K−1 for x = 0 to 0.5 J kg−1 K−1 for x = 1.0 under 0-5 T field. Refinement of neutron diffraction patterns for x = 0.2 confirms the magnetic states detected by magnetic study and also indicates that the lattice constants a and c show a distinct variation around TC.