Tuning magnetic and table-like magnetocaloric effect of La0.6ErSr0.4MnO3(x = 0.0125, 0.05, 0.1) manganites

• The Tc was moved to near room temperature by increasing Er doping. • The two overlapped transitions observed in samples as Er increased. • Table-like properties caused the magnetic field induced entropy maximum over a broad temperature interval. • A broadening of the ∆T FWHM for samples prompted the RCP to increase significantly. Polycrystalline samples of La 0.6-x Er x Sr 0 . 4 MnO 3 ( x = 0 . 0125 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1) have been prepared using the solid-state reaction method. X-ray powder diffraction confirmed a single-phase state and revealed a rhombohedral structure with the R¯3c space group in all samples. It is shown that the unit cell volume gradually decreases by replacing La with Er. The Curie temperature ( T c ) decreases as the Er content rises. A downturn of the reciprocal value of the magnetic susceptibility versus temperature curve proves the presence of the Griffith phase above T c . An occurrence of two overlapped transitions, from the ferromagnetic phase to the Griffith phase and from the latter one to the paramagnetic phase, in La 0.6-x Er x Sr 0 . 4 MnO 3 samples caused the significant expansion of the total transition temperature range as x increased. In turn, a widening of the transition temperature span gives rise to the spreading of the magnetic field induced entropy maximum over a broad temperature interval, resulting in a considerable enhancement of the relative cooling power.