Thermal and magnetothermal properties of La0.5Pr0.5Mn2Si2

The thermal and magnetothermal properties of La0.5Pr0.5Mn2Si2 and isostructural LaFe2Si2 intermetallic compounds in the temperature range 4.5–303 K are reported with and without applied magnetic field. The electronic, lattice, and magnetic contributions to the heat capacity of La0.5Pr0.5Mn2Si2 are determined and analyzed. We have determined TCinter and TNinter from heat capacity experiments; the values are in line with those from the magnetization measurements. We conclude that in order to observe the anomaly in the heat capacity data around TNinter in the R1−xRx′Mn2Si2 system, the transition around TNinter should occur in a narrow temperature interval.

► The first-order antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic (AF–FM) transition in R1−xRx′Mn2Si2 can be observed in C(T)C(T).
► The AF–FM transition should occur in a narrow temperature range.
► Short-range magnetic correlations are validated by heat capacity experiments.