The Cubic-to-Orthorhombic Phase Transition: Rigidity and Non-Rigidity Properties in the Linear Theory of Elasticity

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the cubic-to-orthorhombic phase transition in the framework of linear elasticity. Using convex integration techniques, we prove that this phase transition represents one of the simplest three-dimensional examples in which already the linearised theory of elasticity displays non-rigidity properties. As a complementary result, we demonstrate that surface energy constraints rule out such highly oscillatory behaviour. We give a full characterization of all possibly emerging patterns for generic material parameters.