Magnetic structure and magnetocalorics of GdPO4

Abstract

The magnetic ordering structure of GdPO4 is determined at T=60 mK by the diffraction of hot neutrons with wavelength λ=0.4696 Å. It corresponds to a noncollinear antiferromagnetic arrangement of the Gd moments with propagation vector k=(1/2,0,1/2). This arrangement is found to minimize the dipole-dipole interaction and the crystal-field anisotropy energy, the magnetic superexchange being much smaller. The intensity of the magnetic reflections decreases with increasing temperature and vanishes at T≈0.8 K, in agreement with the magnetic ordering temperature TN=0.77 K, as reported in previous works based on heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The magnetocaloric parameters have been determined from heat capacity data at constant applied fields up to 7 T, as well as from isothermal magnetization data. The magnetocaloric effect, for a field change ΔB=0-7T, reaches -ΔST=375.8mJ/cm3K-1 at T=2.1 K, largely exceeding the maximum values reported to date for Gd-based magnetic refrigerants.