Magnetic field driven phase transitions in EuTiO3

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.