2003/02/28 by A. E. Jacobs, S. H. Curnoe, R. C. Desai
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.68.224104
published as Phys. Rev. B 68, 224104 (2003) · 7 pages, 6 colour figures not embedded in text. Major revisions in content
arxiv created 2003/12/19 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
We study domain patterns in cubic-tetragonal ferroelastics by solving numerically equations of motion derived from a Landau model of the phase transition, including dissipative stresses. Our system sizes, of up to 2563 points, are large enough to reveal many structures observed experimentally. Most patterns found at late stages in the relaxation are multiply banded; all three tetragonal variants appear, but inequivalently. Two of the variants form broad primary bands; the third intrudes into the others to form narrow secondary bands with the hosts. On colliding with walls between the primary variants, the third either terminates or forms a chevron. The multipy banded patterns, with the two domain sizes, the chevrons and the terminations, are seen in the microscopy of zirconia and other cubic-tetragonal ferroelastics. We examine also transient structures obtained much earlier in the relaxation; these show the above features and others also observed in experiment.