Evidence of iso-structural phase transition in high pressure Raman spectroscopic studies of CaCu3Ti4O12

High pressure Raman spectroscopic studies on Polycrystalline CaCu3Ti4O12 and SrCu3Ti4O12 compounds are carried out in order to validate the theoretical predictions of a structural transformation near 3-4 GPa and an insulator to metal transition above 7 GPa [S. B. Fagan et al., Phys. Rev. B 72, 014106 (2005)]. Our studies showed normal hardening and broadening of peaks with increasing pressure up to 20 GPa besides a discontinuity between 8 and 9 GPa which is attributed to an isostructural phase transition. The Ag(1) peak occurring at 442 cm−1 showed asymmetric Fano lineshape and the lineshape parameter 'q' shows an increase with increasing pressure. This is completely against the theoretical predictions of an insulator to metal transition above 7 GPa.