Determination of Curie temperature by Arrott plot technique in Gd5(SixGe1-x)4 for x>0.575

Determination of Curie temperature by plotting magnetic moment vs. temperature curves requires a small applied field, which influences the measurement and temporarily disturbs the temperature of the sample especially for highly magnetocaloric materials. The Arrott plot technique was therefore used in order to determine the Curie temperature for a magnetocaloric Gd(5)Si(2.7)Ge(1.3) (x= 0.675) single crystal sample. This technique was compared with other methods such as the in.fection point technique and the line projection method. The results show how applied magnetic feld influences the determination of Curie temperature. Using the Arrott plot the second-order transition Curie temperature for Gd(5)Si(2.7)Ge(1.3) was determined to be 304 K. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.