Influence of heat treatment on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in Nd0.6Sr0.4MnO3 compound

• Rietveld refinement of XRD data reveals that all samples are single phase.
• Magnetocaloric parameters have been determined.
• Annealing temperature enhances DSM and RCP.

In the present investigation, the effect of annealing temperature on the structural, electrical transport and the magnetocaloric effect of Nd0.6Sr0.4MnO3 manganites have been studied. Rietveld refinement of XRD data reveals that all samples are single phase with a space group (Pnma). Heat treatment enhances the grain size and decreases the porosity. All samples suffer Curie transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. Magnetocaloric parameters have been determined by the analysis of isothermal M (H) curves around Curie temperature (ΔH = 2 T) for samples. Heat treatment enhances magnetic entropy, which reaches a maximum at Tan = 900 °C. In addition, the rate cooling power records highest value at Tan = 700 °C.