Late time phantom characteristic of the model in f(R,T) gravity with quadratic curvature term

We propose a novel cosmological framework within the f(R,T) type modified gravity theory, incorporating a non-minimally coupled with the higher order of the Ricci scalar (R) as well as the trace of the energy–momentum tensor (T). Therefore, our well-motivated chosen f(R,T) expression is R+Rm+2λTn, where λ, m, and n are arbitrary constants. Taking a constant jerk parameter (j), we derive expressions for the deceleration parameter (q) and the Hubble parameter (H) as functions of the redshift z. We constrained our model with the recent Observational Hubble Dataset (OHD), Pantheon, and Pantheon + OHD datasets by using the analysis of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). Our model shows early deceleration followed by late-time acceleration, with the transition occurring in the redshift range 1.10≤ztr≤1.15. Our findings suggest that this higher-order model of f(R,T) gravity theory can efficiently provide a dark energy model for addressing the current scenario of cosmic acceleration. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.