Enhancement of the Magnetocaloric Effect in Composites Based on La0.4Re0.1Ca0.5MnO3 (Re = Dy, Gd, and Eu) Polycrystalline Manganites

In this communication, we have used theoretical calculations in order to prepare a composite with an enhanced magnetocaloric effect from La 0.4 Re 0.1 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 (Re = Dy, Gd, and Eu) samples. Although the obtained composites did not exhibit very important values of magnetic entropy change (− Δ S ), they are active in a very wide temperature range. One of the composites is characterized by a plateau-like shape of − Δ S ( T ) curves. Several anomalies were found in the magnetic and the magnetocaloric properties of our composites. The origin of these anomalies is essentially attributed to the phase separation phenomenon characterizing all the La 0.4 Re 0.1 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 samples.