Magnetic field driven phase transitions in EuTiO3

P Pappas; M Calamiotou; M Polentarutti; G Bais; A Bussmann-Holder; E Liarokapis

doi:10.1088/1361-648X/ac2f11

Magnetic field driven phase transitions in EuTiO₃

J Phys Condens Matter. 2021 Oct 26;34(2). doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/ac2f11.

Authors

P Pappas¹, M Calamiotou², M Polentarutti³, G Bais³, A Bussmann-Holder⁴, E Liarokapis¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, Athens 15780, Greece.
² Section of Condensed Matter Physics, Physics Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-15784 Athens, Greece.
³ Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.C.p.A. Strada Statale 14 km 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
⁴ Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstr. 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.

PMID: 34638109
DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/ac2f11

Abstract

The influence of an external static magnetic field (up to 480 mT) on the structural properties of EuTiO₃(ETO) polycrystalline samples was examined by powder XRD at the Elettra synchrotron facilities in the temperature range 100-300 K. While the cubic to tetragonal structural phase transition temperature in this magnetic field range remains almost unaffected, significant lattice effects appear at two characteristic temperatures (∼200 K and ∼250 K), which become more pronounced at a critical threshold field. At ∼200 K a change in the sign of magnetostriction is detected attributed to a modification of the local magnetic properties from intrinsic ferromagnetism to intrinsic antiferromagnetism. These data are a clear indication that strong spin-lattice interactions govern also the high temperature phase of ETO and trigger the appearance of magnetic domain formation and phase transitions.

Keywords: EuTiO3; magnetic field driven phase transition; magnetoelectrics; magnetostriction; spin–lattice coupling; synchrotron XRD.