Anomalous temperature dependence of third-order elastic constants in NH4Cl and NH4Br near the λ point

Second order elastic constants of NH₄Cl and NH₄Br crystals were measured under hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures near the λ-type phase transitions. Third order elastic constants were calculated from the pressure derivatives of the second order elastic constants. Results show that the temperature dependences of the third order elastic constants of NH₄Cl differ from those of NH₄Br dramatically. In addition, it is found that the coefficients $\text{1}\text{54}\text{(C}{}_{111}\text{+ 6C}{}_{112}\text{+ 2C}{}_{123}\text{)}$ and $\text{(}\text{1}\text{24}\text{√3)(C}{}_{111}\text{? 3C}{}_{112}\text{+ 2C}{}_{123}\text{)}$ of strains in the free energy of NH₄Cl show quite different temperature dependences from those of NH₄Br.