Nucleation and growth of incommensurate phase in the C-to-IC transition of Sodium nitrite

Abstract

The process of nucleation and growth of the incommensurate phase in the C-to-IC transition has been studied. In the course of the transition, a sample is quenched to room temperature. During quenching, the nucleated IC regions are converted to ferroelectric domains. Among them the domains having the polarity opposite to that of the bulk can be delineated by etching. The IC phase is nucleated in the form of thin layers perpendicular to the α-axis and grows rapidly along the bc-plane. The layer is thinner than 1.3 μm. The C-to-IC transition is completed when the sample is covered with such IC layers.