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    Rare-earth tuning of magnetic entropy and interaction scales in K3Ln(PO4)2 (Ln=Yb,Gd) for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration

    Yonglin Wang1, Chuandi Zhang1, Jianglong Zhang2,3, Zihang Gao1, Ziqi Li1, Feiran Shen4,5, Lunhua He4,5, Peijie Sun6, Hao Deng2,3,* et al.

    Junsen Xiang6,† and Wentao Jin1,‡

    • *Contact author: denghao@shanghaitech.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: xiangjs@iphy.ac.cn
    • ‡Contact author: wtjin@buaa.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. B 114, 214419 – Published 19 October, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gnh9-srtk

    Abstract

    Adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR) based on frustrated rare-earth magnets provides a promising route toward helium-free sub-Kelvin cooling, while balancing magnetic entropy and interaction scales is essential for optimizing the ADR functionalities. Here we investigate the low-temperature magnetic and ADR properties of the alkali rare-earth double phosphates K3Ln(PO4)2 (Ln = Yb, Gd), which crystallize in a monoclinic P21/m structure containing distorted isosceles triangular lattices of rare-earth ions. Magnetization and specific heat measurements confirm the absence of long-range magnetic ordering down to 0.1 K in both compounds. Direct quasi-ADR measurements demonstrate strongly contrasting refrigeration behaviors: K3Yb(PO4)2 reaches a minimum temperature of 29.8 mK from an initial state of 2 K and 6 T, whereas K3Gd(PO4)2 exhibits extended hold times below 150 mK associated with its larger magnetic entropy reservoir. Crystal-electric-field calculations confirm a Jeff=1/2 ground-state doublet in K3Yb(PO4)2, while thermodynamic analysis based on magnetic entropy and interaction scales accounts for the distinct ADR performance of the two compounds. These results identify K3Ln(PO4)2 as a chemically robust platform for rare-earth-tunable solid-state ADR.

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