Free-energy analysis of the nonhysteretic first-order phase transition of Eu 2 In
Binary intermetallic Eu 2 In was recently reported to exhibit a giant anhysteretic magnetocaloric effect due to a first-order magnetic phase transition between paramagnetic and ferromagnetic states. Experimentally, the transition occurs with a small phase volume change, ΔV/V, of approximately 0.1% around T C of ca. 55 K. We representmagnetic and computemagnetocaloric properties of a Eu 2 In compound using a microscopic description based on a model Hamiltonian that takes into account magnetic exchange and magnetoelastic interactions. In the model the thermodynamic nature of the transition is conveniently represented by a single magnetoelastic interaction parameter. We report a good agreement between the theoretical results and earlier published experimental data confirms the effectiveness of our approach.