Eur. Phys. J. B 70, 347-351 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2009-00238-8

Magnetotransport and magnetocaloric effect in Ho₂In

Department of Solid State Physics, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, 700032 Kolkata, India

Corresponding author: ^a sspsm2@iacs.res.in

Received: 19 December 2008
Revised: 8 May 2009
Published online: 15 July 2009

Abstract

The magnetotransport and magnetic properties of the binary intermetallic compound Ho₂In have been investigated. Clear signature of long range ferromagnetic order in the resistivity and the magnetization data at T_C = 85 K is observed. A further spin reorientation type transition is also apparent in our measured data at around T_t = 32 K. The sample exhibits negative magnetoresistance (peak value of –14% at 5 T) over a wide temperature range that extends well above T_C. Substantially large magneto-caloric effect is also observed in the sample (maximum value of –8.5 J kg^-1K^-1 for 0 → 5 T), which peaks around the T_C of the sample. The observed magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric effect are related to the suppression of spin disorder by an external magnetic field. Ho₂In can be an interesting addition to the list of rare-earth based magnetic refrigerant materials showing magneto-caloric effect across a second order phase transition.