Abstract
The structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties are investigated in details for the GdFeO3-type Pr0.5Eu0.1Sr0.4MnO3 and Pr0.5Er0.1Sr0.4MnO3 manganites (oP20, space group Pnma, N 62). Landau analysis, Banerjee's criteria, and universal behaviour are studied to assess magnetic ordering in the samples. These methods reveal the occurrence of a second-order phase transition and the short-range interactions in the vicinity of Curie temperatures. The maximum of the magnetic entropy change Delta S-M (field change of 5 T) is found to increase from 4.47 J/kg.K at T-C = 279.9 +/- 1 K to 4.86 J/kg.K at T-C = 188.5 +/- 1 K for Pr0.5Eu0.1Sr0.4MnO3 and Pr0.5Er0.1Sr0.4MnO3, respectively with corresponding relative cooling power (RCP) 264.8 J/kg to 270.9 J/kg.