The influence of the spin reorientation process on the magnetocaloric effect: Application to PrAl2

In this work we report a theoretical investigation about the influence of the spin reorientation on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of PrAl2. The model Hamiltonian takes into account the exchange magnetic interaction and the crystalline electrical field anisotropy. All theoretical results were obtained using the proper model parameters found in the literature for this compound. An anomalous valley was predicted to exist in the magnetocaloric curves for magnetic field changes along 〈1 1 1〉 non easy magnetic crystallographic direction. This anomaly was ascribed to the spin reorientation process.