1985 Volume 54 Issue 5 Pages 2021-2031
The kinetic process of the commensurate-to-incommensurate phase transition in Rb2ZnCl4 has been studied by tracing the time variations of the polarization and dielectric constant during the transition induced by removing the applied high dc electric field from the sample. The polarization shows an abrupt dropat at the instant of field removal and then decays monotonically. The dielectric constant first increases, reaches a maximum and then decreases toward the thermal equilibrium value. The relaxation process slows down as Tc is approached from above. A qualitative explanation of the observed transient characteristics is presented on the basis of a nucleation model. It is suggested that at an early stage of the transition the nucleated discommensurations are spaced more widely than in the final thermal equilibrium state.
This article cannot obtain the latest cited-by information.