Glass-forming ability, magnetic phase transition, and low-temperature magnetocaloric performance of Ho60Co20Cu20 amorphous ribbon

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) has been intensively investigated in many rare-earth ( RE)-based amorphous materials recently, not only due to their potential applications for low-temperature magnetic cooling, but also to better elucidate their inherent physical properties. We fabricated Ho ₆₀Co ₂₀Cu ₂₀ amorphous ribbon by melt-spinning and experimentally determined their glass-forming ability (GFA), magnetic phase transition (MPT), and MCE. The Ho ₆₀Co ₂₀Cu ₂₀ amorphous ribbon exhibited a good GFA and a typical second-order-type low-temperature MPT at 22.4 K. A large, reversible MCE and excellent low-temperature magnetocaloric performance in the Ho ₆₀Co ₂₀Cu ₂₀ amorphous ribbon were identified from the maximum magnetic entropy change, refrigerant capacity, and temperature-averaged entropy change. These parameters of the Ho ₆₀Co ₂₀Cu ₂₀ amorphous ribbon are at a similar level to those of the known low-temperature MCE materials, making it of interest for practical applications.