Investigating structural and magnetic properties of FeTiO₃

Ilmenite-type FeTiO₃ antiferromagnet is a well-known triangular lattice material explored for various practical applications in the field of spintronics, optoelectronics, and high-temperature integrated circuits. Structural analysis of FeTiO₃ was done through high-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements coupled with Pair distribution function analysis across a wide temperature range (11 K – 300 K). The thermal evolution of the lattice parameter ‘c’ shows an interesting behavior where it starts expanding below phase transition 58 K exhibiting a negative thermal coefficient of the studied material. It was evident from the results that TiO₆ octahedra becoming less distorted as Ti atom move towards the centroid of the octahedra while distortion in FeO₆ become more prominent as Fe atom move away from the center with decreasing temperature. The lattice distortion effects the Fe-Fe distance which play a crucial role in the magnetic properties of FeTiO₃. Furthermore, experiments done in the presence of an external magnetic field at a fixed temperature of around 50 K exhibiting metamagnetic phase transition. i.e., inducing an AFM to FM transition. In this presentation I will address how structural distortions effect the magnetism in FeTiO₃.