| Abstract Scope |
The usual techniques to determine the order of phase transitions depend on interpretations based on qualitative data features, thus jeopardized by misinterpretations or extensive calculations. In this talk, we show that using the field dependence of isothermal entropy change (magnetocaloric effect), the order of the phase transition can be quantitatively determined: an exponent n larger than 2 at the transition constitutes the fingerprint of first-order thermomagnetic phase transition [1]. This newly proposed alternative to identify the order of thermomagnetic phase transitions will be applied to various series of magnetic materials, including alloys, oxides and multiphase composites. This technique could outdo the accuracy of the typical methods used for identifying the order of magnetic phase transitions, especially for compositions very near to the critical point of second-order phase transition.
[1] J. Y. Law, et al., Nature Communications, 9, 2680 (2018). |