ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Measurements of the spontaneous polarization P, x-ray diffraction, birefringence, dielectric constant at different frequencies, and specific heat Cp of the Cd0.9Zn0.1Te alloy are presented. The results demonstrate that this system exhibits a diffuse, second-order ferroelectric transition. The transition is of order-disorder type as deduced from the dielectric measurements. It is found that: (a) The birefringence is proportional to P, as expected from a system with a piezoelectric paraelectric phase; (b) the heat capacity is given by Cp=(Tc/C)||(PdP/dT)||, where C is the Curie constant. One of the main phenomena observed in these solid solutions is the instability of the ferroelectric phase: Once the neighborhood of the transition temperature is reached, the transition disappears upon subsequent cooling. A hypothesis for this instability is offered in terms of a two-state configuration-coordinate diagram.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.355262
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