Effect of Hydrogenation on the Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Rare Earth Intermetallic Compounds Tb_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33Ni and Dy_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33Ni

Multicomponent rare earth intermetallic compounds Tb_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33Ni and Dy_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33Ni crystallize in orthorhombic FeB-type structure (Space group Pnma, No. 62, oP8) and order ferromagnetically at 59 K and 40 K (T_C) respectively. Hydrides of these samples show a presence of ~ 10-nm size nanoparticles with unit cell volume expansion. Magnetization measurements reveal that hydrides Tb_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33NiH_1.9 and Dy_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33NiH_1.9 remain paramagnetic from 300 K down to 5 K. Magnetization value at 5 K in 70 kOe field is ~ 5.1 µ_B/f.u. and 5.5 µ_B/f.u., respectively, for Tb_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33NiH_1.9 and Dy_0.33Ho_0.33Er_0.33NiH_1.9 samples. Despite the lack of ferromagnetic order, hydrides exhibit large low-temperature magnetocaloric effect with maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change values of about − 11.6 Jkg⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 14 K and – 12.9 Jkg⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 8 K respectively for 50 kOe magnetic field change.