First principal calculation of the physical proprieties of the ternary intermetallic compound Gd ₂ Cu ₂ Cd for magnetic refrigeration applications

Abstract

The manuscript explores the electromagnetic and magnetocaloric characteristics of the intermetallic compound Gd2Cu2Cd. One of the key findings is that Gd2Cu2Cd possesses a magnetic moment of approximately 7.13 μB. The simulated magnetic properties illustrate a second-order phase transition from ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) occurring at approximately 130 K. This material exhibits a substantial magnetocaloric effect (MCE) across various external magnetic field strengths. To be more specific, this transition occurs at an external magnetic field of 4.0 T, in particular, at an external magnetic field of 4.0 T, the extreme magnetic entropy change (ΔSmag) is measured at 3.58 J/kg.K, and the relative cooling power (RCP) reaches 28 J/kg. Notably, with an increase in the external magnetic field, the maximum value of (ΔSmag) increases significantly, and the Curie temperature (TC) shifts toward lower temperatures. These results suggest that Gd2Cu2Cd has significant potential for applications in magnetic refrigeration that leverage the magnetocaloric effect.