Investigating the Magnetocaloric Effect of GdGaAl Alloys Using Mean-Field Theory
Abstract
In this paper, we investigated the magnetocaloric properties and magnetic parameters
of GdGa1−xAlx (0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 0.5) alloys using mean-field theory. The magnetization, exchange
field, and magnetic entropy change are examined to understand how partial substitution of Ga
with Al affects these properties. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) shows promising results,
with maximum entropy changes of 3.40, 2.94, and 4.20 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹ under 0-2 T change magnetic
field for x=0, 0.3, and 0.5, respectively. The temperature-averaged entropy change (𝑇𝐸𝐶)
values remain stable across a wide temperature range, making these materials suitable for
refrigeration applications. The highest 𝑇𝐸𝐶 of 9.50 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹ is observed for the x=0.5 alloy,
indicating enhanced magnetocaloric performance with higher Al content.