Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in thiospinel Fe1-Cu Cr2S4 (x = 0.0, 0.5) compounds

In this study, we investigate the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Cr-based spinel sulphides Fe 1- x Cu x Cr 2 S 4 ( x = 0.0 and x = 0.5). The magnetic transition temperature of FeCr 2 S 4 (176 K) increases to 330 K when 50 % of Fe in FeCr 2 S 4 structure is substituted with Cu. Temperature-dependent Zero-Field-Cooled (ZFC) and Field-Cooled (FC) magnetic moment measurements show a paramagnetic (PM) to ferrimagnetic (FiM) phase transition in our samples. Magnetocaloric properties were investigated through magnetization isotherm measurements. The maximum magnetic entropy change values are −2.78 J/kg. K and −2.11 J/kg. K under 5 T magnetic field, for x = 0 and x = 0.5 in Fe 1- x Cu x Cr 2 S 4 , respectively. Analysis of phenomenological universal curves and Arrott plots indicate a second-order magnetic transition for both compounds. Consequently, Fe 0.5 Cu 0.5 Cr 2 S 4 emerges as a promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration applications due to its considerable high magnetic entropy change and its proximity to room temperature transition.