Pressure-induced spin reorientation and spin state transition in SrCoO3

A series of high-pressure measurements including resistivity, ac and dc magnetic susceptibility, neutron powder diffraction, and synchrotron x-ray diffraction were performed to investigate the crystal structure and electronic states of the itinerant ferromagnet SrCoO3. Two pressure-induced phase transitions were observed at about 1.1 and 45 GPa, corresponding to a spin reorientation and a spin-state transition, respectively, while the cubic crystal structure was stable with pressure up to 60.0 GPa. The origins of these electronic state changes are discussed and rationalized in the light of first-principles calculations.