Magnetoplastic effect in NaNO2 ferroelectric crystals

This paper reports on a laser interferometric study of the effect of a dc magnetic field (MF) on the rate of plastic deformation (creep) $dot varepsilon$ of NaNO₂ ferroelectric crystals under compression. It is established that the application of a dc MF to a loaded specimen results in an increase in the creep rate and that removal of the MF brings about a decrease in $dot varepsilon$ . Subjecting an unloaded specimen to a dc MF beforehand also affects its strain rate under the subsequent loading. The observed magnetoplastic effect is most clearly pronounced within a certain $dot varepsilon$ interval, and the magnitude of this effect for the NaNO₂ ferroelectric is several times larger than that for LiF crystals.