Thermal properties and phase transition behaviors of possible caloric materials Bi₀.₉₅Ln₀.₀₅NiO₃

Abstract

Thermal properties and phase transition behaviors of possible caloric materials Bi₀.₉₅Ln₀.₀₅NiO₃ (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy), which show intersite charge transfer between Bi and Ni ions, were investigated. Although a few of the compounds showed large latent heats at the intersite-charge-transfer transition temperatures, the values are not comparable to that observed in the giant caloric effect compound NdCu₃Fe₄O₁₂. In the present Bi₀.₉₅Ln₀.₀₅NiO₃, contrary to our expectation, the magnetic transitions of Ni²⁺ spins are not induced by the intersite-charge-transfer transitions and the magnetic entropy changes do not contribute to the latent heat produced by the intersite-charge-transfer transitions. To obtain giant caloric effects, materials for which the “intrinsic” magnetic transition temperatures are much higher than the charge-transfer-transition temperatures may be needed.