Evolution of ferromagnetism in Y1−xPrxInNi4 and its magneto caloric effect

PrInNi4 has a nonmagnetic ground state and exhibits a field-induced nonmagnetic–ferromagnetic transition by a small field of ∼∼ 0.6 T at low temperature. To clarify the origin of this novel transition, we have prepared the Y-substituted samples, Y1−xPrxInNi4 and have studied their electrical resistivity and magnetization. Resistivity suggests that the crystal-field splitting scheme is almost unchanged by dilution from that of PrInNi4. Magnetic susceptibility χ(T)χ(T) of the dilute sample well agrees with the calculation based on the crystal field splitting of PrInNi4. It is found that χ(T)χ(T) of PrInNi4 is significantly enhanced at low temperatures from that of the dilute system, suggesting that intersite ferromagnetic-correlation develops at low temperatures. We also have investigated the magneto caloric effect in PrInNi4. By adiabatic demagnetization from 1 T, temperature decrease from 1.4 K to 0.7 K is observed.