Inverse magnetocaloric effects in two-leg spin ladder system

Magnetocaloric properties of the two-leg frustrated spin ladder system are investigated by the use of transfer-matrix method. Exact results for the magnetization, entropy, entropy change and magnetocaloric cooling rate versus temperature and field are presented and discussed in detail. Large inverse magnetocaloric effects induced by the field arise at low temperature, and exhibit strong dependency relationship on the exchange couplings. In the vicinity of the critical field, the enhanced inverse magnetocaloric effects and normal magnetocaloric effects are both observed. Besides, the influences of the single-ion anisotropy on the entropy change are discussed as well.

► Exact solutions of magnetocaloric properties of two-leg spin ladder system. ► Prominent inverse magnetocaloric effects are observed at low temperature. ► Large magnetocaloric cooling rates appear at the critical fields. ► Weak rung coupling enhances the entropy change of the system.