Barocaloric properties of quaternary Mn3(Zn,In)N for room-temperature refrigeration applications

The magnetically frustrated manganese nitride antiperovskite family displays significant changes of entropy under hydrostatic pressure that can be useful for the emerging field of barocaloric cooling. Here we show that barocaloric properties of metallic antiperovskite Mn nitrides can be tailored for room-temperature application through quaternary alloying. We find an enhanced entropy change of vertical bar Delta S-t vertical bar = 37 J K-1 kg(-1) at the T-t = 300 K antiferromagnetic transition of quaternary Mn3Zn0.5In0.5N relative to the ternary end members. The pressure-driven barocaloric entropy change of Mn3Zn0.5In0.5N reaches vertical bar Delta S-BCE vertical bar = 20 J K-1 kg(-1) in 2.9 kbar. Our results open up a large phase space where compounds with improved barocaloric properties may be found.

Automated summary

The research found that the barocaloric properties of metallic antiperovskite Mn nitrides can be optimized for room-temperature application through quaternary alloying. It was discovered that quaternary Mn3Zn0.5In0.5N has a higher entropy change compared to ternary end members, and its pressure-driven barocaloric entropy change reaches a high value.