Magnetic properties, magnetoresistivity and magnetocaloric effect in GdxLa1−x-MnSi alloys

The results of magnetization, magnetoresistivity and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) studies performed on polycrystalline samples of the GdxLa1−xMnSi (x=0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0) compounds were presented. Complex measurements were carried out on the GdxLa1−xMnSi compounds to determine the influence of substitution in the rare earth (R) sublattice on the magnetic and related properties of these compounds. The compounds with x≤0.6 demonstrated two magnetic phase transitions (ferromagnetic to paramagnetic and antiferro-magnetic to ferromagnetic) both of which were first order. Anomalies in the magnetocaloric effect, electroresistivity and magnetoresistivity were observed in the temperature ranges of the magnetic phase transitions. The temperature dependences of MCE and magnetoresistivity for these compounds correlated with the temperature dependence of magnetization.