Large Magnetocaloric Effect Around Room Temperature in Amorphous Fe-Gd-Zr Alloy Ribbon with Short-Range Interactions

In this work, we present a detailed study on the magnetocaloric effect and the critical behaviors of an amorphous Fe88Gd2Zr10 alloy ribbon prepared by using a rapid quenching method. We point out that the value of maximum magnetic entropy change (|a dagger S (max)|) of amorphous Fe88Gd2Zr10 alloy ribbon appeared at near room temperature and versus Delta H obeys a power law, |a dagger S (max)| = a center dot Delta H (n). In addition, all Delta S (m)(T, Delta H) data measured at different Delta H values are collapsed onto a universal master curve. Interestingly, M (2) versus H/M curves prove amorphous Fe88Gd2Zr10 ribbon exhibitied a second-order magnetic phase transition. The critical exponents (beta, gamma, and delta) obtained from the modified Arrott plots and the Kouvel-Fisher methods, and critical isotherm analysis are very close to those expected for the 3D-Heisenberg model, proving ferromagnetic short-range interactions exist in amorphous Fe88Gd2Zr10 ribbon.