Enhancing magnetocaloric performance through phase separation in La0.45Ca0.45Y0.05X0.05MnO3 perovskite manganites

Abstract

Magnetocaloric materials have attracted much attention in search for effective and environmentally friendly cooling technologies. The effect of phase separation on the magnetocaloric characteristics of La_0.45Ca_0.45Y_0.05X_0.05MnO₃ (LCY) manganites is investigated in this work. Structural, chemical, and magnetic analyses validate the coexistence of ferromagnetic and charge-ordered/antiferromagnetic domains, a key feature in enhancing magnetocaloric properties. With an outstanding relative cooling power of 336.6 J kg⁻¹ at 5 T, the Griffiths phase magnifies short-range ferromagnetic interactions comparable to Gd-based materials. These results highlight the crucial role of phase separation in tuning magnetocaloric characteristics and offer new insights into creating advanced magnetic refrigerants.