Utilizing frustration in Gd- and Yb-based oxides for milli-Kelvin adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration.

The manifold of energetically degenerate configurations arising from competing interactions in frustrated magnets gives rise to an enhanced entropy at lowest temperatures, which can be utilized for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR). We review structural and magnetic properties of various Yb- and Gd-based oxides featuring frustration related to different triangular moment configurations and (in some cases) structural randomness. In comparison to paramagnetic hydrated salts, which have traditionally been employed for mK-ADR, these novel ADR materials enable cooling to temperatures several times lower than the magnetic interaction strength, significantly enhancing the entropy density and cooling power at a given target temperature.