Tuning magnetocaloric effect with nanocrystallite size

We demonstrate that the average nanocrystallite size and size distribution can be used as control parameters to respectively tune the peak value and the width-at-half-maximum of the isothermal magnetic entropy change or the adiabatic temperature change during the magnetization process (magnetocaloric effect) such that a reasonably large relative cooling power, conducive to magnetic refrigeration, is achieved. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3584018]