Specific heat and low-field magnetocaloric effect in A-site ordered PrBaMn2O6 manganite

The specific heat and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of A-site ordered PrBaMn₂O₆ manganite have been studied. The anomalies caused by the ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase transitions are revealed in the specific heat curve. Direct and inverse MCE are observed at the Curie and Néel points correspondingly. A value of the inverse MCE in the heating run is smaller than in the cooling regime. We attribute this effect to the competition between FM and AFM interactions. A significant advantage of PrBaMn₂O₆ as a magnetocaloric material is an MCE spanning a broad range of temperature with a maximum at room temperature.