‘Pseudo-proper’ ferroelectric phase transitions in oxyfluoride K3WO3F3

Based on the structural data on the phases of cryolite (ordered perovskite) K₃WO₃F₃, we develop a statistical model, which allows to describe the sequence of phase transitions observed in this compound using a unified approach. According to the model, the crystal possesses two structural subsystems: the K cations located in the octahedral positions and the WO₃F₃ octahedra in positions alternating with K cations. In the symmetric (cubic) phase, each subsystem can be found in one of the eight states. At decreasing temperature, an orientational phase transition in the subsystem of octahedra occurs first, followed by a phase transition to the low-temperature phase, caused by the loss of stability with respect to the ordering in the K cation subsystem. We find that the electric polarization occurs as pseudoproper and discuss the mechanisms of formation of the phase states.     

‘Phase transitions’ in bacteria – From structural transitions in free living bacteria to phenotypic transitions in bacteria within biofilms

Phase transitions are common in inanimate systems and have been studied extensively in natural sciences. Less explored are the rich transitions that take place at the micro- and nano-scales in biological systems. In conventional phase transitions, large-scale properties of the media change discontinuously in response to continuous changes in external conditions. Such changes play a significant role in the dynamic behaviours of organisms. In this review, we focus on some transitions in both free-living and biofilms of bacteria. Particular attention is paid to the transitions in the flagellar motors and filaments of free-living bacteria, in cellular gene expression during the biofilm growth, in the biofilm morphology transitions during biofilm expansion, and in the cell motion pattern transitions during the biofilm formation. We analyse the dynamic characteristics and biophysical mechanisms of these phase transition phenomena and point out the parallels between these transitions and conventional phase transitions. We also discuss the applications of some theoretical and numerical methods, established for conventional phase transitions in inanimate systems, in bacterial biofilms.     

Are there phase transitions in information space?

The interplay between two basic quantities--quantum communication and information--is investigated. Quantum communication is an important resource for quantum states shared by two parties and is directly related to entanglement. Recently, the amount of local information that can be drawn from a state has been shown to be closely related to the nonlocal properties of the state. Here we consider both formation and extraction processes, and analyze informational resources as a function of quantum communication. The resulting diagrams in information space allow us to observe phaselike transitions when correlations become classical.     

Are there phase transitions in liquid metallic alloys?

Recently, resistivity measurements of some liquid metals and metallic alloys have been obtained using an electrode technique. A marked change of the slope of the resistivity versus temperature has been observed following the history of the alloy in the liquid state and the authors conclude that there are “structural transitions in the melt”. It is of interest to examine such effects and to try to understand their origin. In this work, the resistivities of several liquid metals and metallic alloys were measured as a function of temperature. Particular attention was given to the history of the alloy, including solidification and melting conditions. We also observed “anomalies”. Our experiments lead us to conclude that they must very probably be attributed to the release of gas or vapour bubbles in the liquid alloy at the first heating, resulting from the decomposition of compounds like oxides or hydroxides of the metals, but not from a phase transition in the liquid metallic state involving “breaking” Sn–Sn covalent bands.     

Magnetic phase transitions in PrMn2−xCrxGe2

The structural and magnetic properties of PrMn_2−xCr_xGe₂ (0⩽x⩽1.0) were studied by X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. The powder samples crystallize in the ThCr₂Si₂-type structure, and the lattice constants at room temperature show almost no variation as Cr substitutes Mn. The observed phase transitions are summarized in a proposed magnetic x−T phase diagram and compared with previous Moessbauer spectroscopy and neutron diffraction results for x=0.     

Ferroic phase transitions in β-LiNH4SO4

Abstract

The paper reviews the results of experimental and theoretical studies of ferroic phase transitions in β-LiNH₄SO₄ and its deuterated analogue. β-LiNH₄SO₄ undergoes succesive phase transitions: a paraelectric - ferroelectric phase transition at T₁ ? 462 K, a ferroelectric - ferroelastic phase transition at T₂ ? 283 K and a transition from one ferroelastic phase to the other at T₃ ? 28 K. Attention is focused on the influence of the order of phase transitions on the pattern of ferroelectric and ferroelastic domain structure, and also on the role played by the dynamics of molecular groups in the mechanism of transitions. The pre-transition effect connected with the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition: heterophase, capable of accounting for anomalies in different physical properties present 1-3 K below T₁ is shown. The anomalous temperature variation of spontaneous polarisation of the crystal is discussed within the framework of the phenomenological model of weak ferroelectrics.     

On phase transitions in Schlögl's second model

We study Schlögl's second model, characterized by chemical reactions $$\begin{array}{*{20}c} {2X\underset{{k_2 }}{\overset{{k_1 }}{\longleftrightarrow}}3X,} & {X\underset{{k_4 }}{\overset{{k_3 }}{\longleftrightarrow}}0,} \\ \end{array} $$ ind-dimensional space. The reactions are assumed to be local; local fluctuations are fully taken into account, and particle transport occurs via diffusion. In contrast to previous investigations, we find no phase transition whenk ₄≠0 andd<4. Fork ₄=0,k ₃≠0, and 1≦d<4, we find a second-order phase transition which is in the same universality class as the transition in Schlögl's first model. Only ford≧4 we do find the first-order transition found also by previous authors. These claims are supported by extensive Monte Carlo calculations for various realizations of this process on discrete space-time lattices.     

A review of: “Advances in phase transitions”

From specific heat, thermal expansion, and dielectric constant measurements between 150 and 300 K we have confirmed the low temperature phase transition in barium chloride dihydrate (BaCl₂.2H₂O) at 195 ± 1 K. This transition appears to be associated with the local ordering (or displacements) of the two water molecules in the crystal. A “pseudospin” type model is proposed to explain the transition mechanism.     

The “screening phase transitions” in the two-dimensional Coulomb gas

The Mayer series of a Coulomb gas with fixed ultraviolet cutoff is studied in two dimensions. In particular, we show the existence of infinitely many thresholdsT _n =(e ²/8k)(1-1/2n)^–1 k=Boltzmann's constant,e=electric charge,n=1, 2,..., which are conjectured to reflect a sequence of transitions from pure multipole phase (the Kosterlitz-Thouless region) to a plasma phase (the Debye screening region) via an infinite number of intermediate phases. Mathematically we prove that the Mayer series' coefficients of order up to 2n are finite if the temperatureT is <T _n. ForT<T all the coefficients are finite and the gas can be formally interpreted as a multipole gas with multipoles with finite activity.The first author was supported in part by NSF grant No. MCS-8108814 (A03).     

Grain boundary wetting phase transitions in peritectic copper—cobalt alloys

The transition from incomplete to complete grain boundary wetting in copper alloys with 2.2 and 4.9 wt % Co has been studied. These alloys with peritectic phase diagrams differ from previously studied systems with eutectic transformation by the fact that the melt layer separating grains from each other is not enriched, but is depleted by the second component (cobalt in this case). The fraction of completely wetted grain boundaries increases with temperature, as in eutectic systems, from zero at a temperature of 1098°C to ~80% at 1096°C. For symmetric twin boundaries, the temperature dependence of the contact angle with melt drops is constructed. As in the eutectic systems, the contact angle decreases with increasing temperature (although not to zero due to the extremely low energy of symmetric twin boundaries).     

The Mössbauer effect in the points of phase transitions

The temperature dependence of the intensity of the Mössbauer line and the shift of its centre on passing through the points of phase transitions was studied. Both quantities exhibit discontinuity at transitions of the first kind while only the shift of the line centre does so at transitions of the second kind. The possibility of using the Mössbauer effect for the exact localization or even classification of phase transitions is shown.     

Weak “phase transitions” in asymptotic properties of lattice sums

Two classes ofn-dimensional lattice sums are shown to exhibit a weak form of a phase transition in their asymptotic properties. Both classes depend on two parameters such that the leading term in an asymptotic limit of one parameter is independent of the structure of the lattice in one domain of the second parameter and dependent on the structure in an adjacent domain, with a boundary point, or transition temperature, between the two domains.     

Field-induced spin-orientational phase transitions in Néel ferrimagnets. I

The breakdown of the aligned states of Néel ferrimagnets in an applied magnetic field is considered. The behaviour of isotropic two-and three-sublattice ferrimagnets is treated in the framework of the mean-field approximation. A phenomenological method also limited by the mean-field approximation is used to analyse the behaviour of the anisotropic ferrimagnet. Particular emphasis is placed on the vicinity of the compensation temperature. Approximate analytical expressions which are valid near the compensation temperature are given for the phase-boundary positions, typical magnetic fields, and temperature ranges of the phase diagrams.     

Thermal-expansion and magnetostriction anomalies in phase transitions in La1−x SrxMnO3

A study is reported on phase transitions in the La_1?x Sr_xMnO₃ system, both spontaneous and induced by a pulsed magnetic field of up to 250 kOe, accompanied by anomalies in magnetoelastic properties. The temperatures of the polaron (charge) and magnetic ordering, as well as those of structural transitions, are observed to be in good agreement with the results obtained by other methods. Jumps in the field dependence of longitudinal and transverse magnetostriction associated with field-induced orbital ordering have been found. A strong temperature dependence of the corresponding threshold fields is observed.     

Pressure induced phase transitions in Ga1 − x In x P

We have theoretically investigated the effect of pressure on the structural stability of GaP?:?InP mixed system. The three-body-potential (TBP) model has been used. The TBP model consists of long-range as well as short-range interactions; the long-range part includes the modified Coulomb force as well as a three-body term; the short-range part in TBP defines the van der Waals and overlap repulsive interactions. We observe a pressure-induced structural phase transformation from ZnS (B3) to NaCl (B1) type phase in Ga _1?x In _x P. Our calculated transition pressures for the initial GaP and final InP compound semiconductors are in good agreement with other reported data.     

Fluid–triangular solid phase transitions in a system of two-dimensional nematic quadrupoles

Density functional theory of freezing is used to study the phase transitions in a system of spherical colloidal particles dispersed in nematic host confined to two dimensions. We have considered both the one-component and two-component systems of the colloidal dispersions. Particles are assumed to interact via director distortion-mediated purely repulsive potential which scales as the fifth power of the inverse interparticle separation. The pair correlation functions needed as input information in the density functional theory are calculated by solving Roger–Young integral equation theory. In one-component system, a triangular crystalline phase is found to be stable. On the other hand, considering the freezing of the fluid phase of the binary mixture into a substitutionally disordered triangular solid, the temperature–composition phase diagram is found to have spindle shape for the ratio of quadrupole moment of the particles of the components being 0.9 and 0.8. The phase diagram changes to an azeotrope at a ratio 0.7. The results are verifiable in real-space experiments on nematic quadrupoles confined to a two-dimensional plane.