Investigation of the magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric properties of the Mn₂FeSbO₆ ilmenite

The magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric properties of mineral and synthetic melanostibite Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ with ilmenite-type structure have been studied. Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ orders ferrimagnetically below 270 K and is found to undergo a second-order magnetic phase transition. The associated magnetic entropy change amounts to 1.7 J/kgK for the mineral and 1.8 J/kgK synthetic melanostibite for 5 T field change. For the synthetic Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ the adiabatic temperature change was estimated from magnetic- and specific heat measurements and amounts to 0.2 K in 1 T field change. Perspectives of the promising functional properties of Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$-based materials are discussed.