Hybrid Nanoscale Systems for Room Temperature Magnetocaloric Refrigeration

Magnetocaloric materials vaulted into the forefront of alternative cooling technologies once they were proven to operate at room temperatures. These materials are preferred over vapor compression technology for their higher energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Even after numerous breakthroughs in magnetocaloric materials research though, there are still challenges to be resolved in order for these materials to out-compete current refrigerators in academic and commercial settings. Hybrid thin film systems are proposed and evaluated as solutions to these challenges, specifically a Nickel and Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) hybrid system.