Magnetization reversal behavior and magnetocaloric effect in SmCr_0.85Mn_0.15O₃ chromites

We have synthesized SmCr_0.85Mn_0.15O₃ (SCMO) chromites through the ceramic route. The compound crystallized into a distorted orthorhombic structure with the Pnma space group, which was confirmed from the Rietveld refinement of x-ray powder diffraction patterns. Neel temperature, noticed at 168 K from the temperature variation of magnetisation, smaller than that reported for SmCrO₃, indicated the influence of Mn³⁺ substitution on decreasing the antiferromagnetic ordering. A phenomenon of magnetization reversal was observed in the SCMO compound. At low magnetic fields, i.e., 500 Oe, a single compensation temperature (defined as the temperature where magnetization became zero) around 106 K was observed in the field cooled magnetization curve. However, with the application of higher magnetic fields, i.e., under an applied field of 1000 Oe, a second compensation temperature was noticed around 8 K. With a further increase in the magnetic field, the magnetization remained positive in both field cooled and zero field cooled protocols. A normal magnetocaloric effect was observed through an indirect method of field dependence of magnetisation measured in the temperature range of 2-152 K. The magnetic entropy change (-ΔS) of ∼11.36 J kg^-1 K^-1 along with the relative cooling power (RCP) of ∼175.89 J kg^-1 was obtained in the temperature range of 10-20 K for an applied field of 90 kOe, and their values at 50 kOe applied field were, respectively, almost twenty and forty times larger in magnitude in comparison to those for the SmCrO₃ compound. The relatively large values of ΔS and RCP make the studied compound a potential candidate for magnetic refrigeration applications at low temperatures.