Giant magnetocaloric effect in Gd2NiMnO6 and Gd2CoMnO6 ferromagnetic insulators

We have investigated magnetocaloric effect in double perovskite Gd2NiMnO6 (GNMO) and Gd2CoMnO6 (GCMO) samples by magnetic and heat capacity measurements. Ferromagnetic ordering is observed at ~130 K (~112 K) in GNMO (GCMO), while the Gd exchange interactions seem to dominate for T < 20 K. In GCMO, below 50 K, an antiferromagnetic behaviour due to 3d-4f exchnage interaction is observed. A maximum entropy (-{Delta}SM) and adiabatic temperature change of ~35.5 J Kg-1 K-1 (~24 J Kg-1 K-1) and 10.5 K (6.5 K) is observed in GNMO (GCMO) for a magnetic field change of 7 T at low temperatures. Absence of magnetic and thermal hysteresis and their insulating nature make them promising for low temperature magnetic refrigeration.