Abstract
We report on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of GdFeSi, as obtained from DC magnetisation and specific heat measurements, in applied fields up to 9 Tesla and in a temperature range between 3 and 300 K. The compound orders ferromagnetically at 118 K. In the paramagnetic range it follows the Curie–Weiss law with μeff = 8.68 μB and ϑc = + 122 K. At 5 K a saturation magnetic moment of 6.16 μB was found, while the spontaneous magnetic moment is 6.11 μB. From thermodynamic measurements the adiabatic temperature rise for an applied field of 9 T was ΔT = 4.5 K and the refrigerant capacity of the compound in the 10–160 K temperature range was calculated to be 1940 J kg−1. The value is comparable with the one reported for Gd5Ge4 of 780 J kg−1 in the temperature span 10–50 K for an applied magnetic field of 5 Tesla.