Abstract
We report the structural and magnetocaloric properties of the perovskite manganite composites (La
0.6
Sr
0.4
MnO
3
)/x(Sb
2
O
3
) (LSMO/Sb
2
O
3
) (x = 0.07 and 0.18) synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study was employed to confirm the formation of both the phases in composites. The results of magnetic measurements indicate that Sb
2
O
3
mainly segregates at the grain boundaries of LSMO. Arrott analysis and master curve behavior reveal a second-order magnetic phase transition in the composite samples. Magnetic entropy change increases with increasing Sb
2
O
3
content and a maximum of 3 J/kg. K at 2 T has been observed in the LSMO/(0.18) Sb
2
O
3
sample. The enhanced ΔS
M
of these composites makes them attractive for potential applications.