giant magnetocaloric effect

chemistry

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July 20, 2026

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The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a phenomenon where a magnetizable substance's temperature changes reversibly when it's placed in a varying magnetic field. When the magnetic field increases, the substance heats up, and when it decreases, it cools down.1

A particularly strong version of this effect is called the giant magnetocaloric effect (GMCE). This was discovered in 1997 in the material Gd₅(Si₂Ge₂). The GMCE occurs due to a simultaneous change in the material's crystal structure and magnetic properties, which can be controlled by adjusting the magnetic field. This discovery has spurred research into using GMCE for magnetic cooling, which could potentially reduce energy consumption in refrigeration by about 20 percent and eliminate the use of harmful greenhouse gases.2

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Giant magnetocaloric effect
Magnetic materials that undergo a magnetic transition will usually heat up (though a few substances will cool down) when subjected to an increasing magnetic field, and when the field is removed the opposite occurs. This phenomenon is known as the magnetocaloric effect…
Read More
Magnetic materials that undergo a magnetic transition will usually heat up (though a few substances will cool down) when subjected to an increasing magnetic field, and when the field is removed the opposite occurs. This phenomenon is known as the magnetocaloric effect…
Read More