Magnetic and magnetothermodynamic properties of Ho5Si4

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ho5Si4 have been investigated. The compound undergoes a second order ferromagnetic transition at 76 K (TC) and a spin reorientation transition at about 15 K. The temperature dependencies of heat capacity data measured in various magnetic fields corroborate the second order ferromagnetic character of the transition at TC. For a field change (ΔH) of 50 kOe, the maximum values of isothermal magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) and adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) are −14.8 J kg−1 K−1 (114 mJ/cm3 K) and 6.1 K, respectively. From the first principles calculations the TC of Ho5Si4 is estimated to be 78 K and the maximum value of ΔSM is estimated to be −12.6 J kg−1 K−1 for ΔH=50 kOe.