A light scattering investigation of the incommensurate transition in BaMnF4

The results of a Brillouin scattering investigation of BaMnF₄ near its incommensurate structural phase transition at T_i=247 K are reported. We have observed an anomalous dynamic central peak in the polarized (bb) spectrum, with $\text{q}\text{6}\text{c}$. This feature is visible only very near T_i, and possesses a width which is strongly wavevector dependent. The indicated behavior is Λ=D_tq², with D_t=0.14 ± 0.02 cm²sec^-1. It is identified as the result of a coupling between the LA phonon and the soft mode, where the latter contains a relaxing self energy due to a linear coupling to a diffusive process, possibly entropy fluctuations. The narrow central peak is not visible for $\text{q}\text{6}\text{a}$. In addition, we report an anomalous dispersion (～4%), in the LA mode propagating along $\text{c}$ (V_cc) near T_i.