Study of ferrobielastic twinning in quartz under conditions of uniaxial pressure by the compound acoustic resonator method

The compound acoustic resonator method is used to study the phenomenon of the ferrobielastic transition in single crystals of quartz subjected to uniaxial pressure. Toward this end, a layered structure consisting of an aluminum film/zinc oxide film/aluminum film sandwich was deposited on one of the surfaces of an X-cut plane-parallel quartz plate. This structure served as an electromechanical transducer in such a way that the entire system acted as a multifrequency acoustic resonator. Uniaxial pressure was applied perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the acoustic waves and caused a growth of the frequencies of the resonance peaks of the structures, indicating a change in the velocity of the acoustic waves. The ferrobielastic phase transition, which arises at some threshold pressure (the ferrobielastic switching effect), is characterized by a discontinuous drop in the frequencies of the resonance peaks. The variation of the resonator frequency both below and above the switching threshold correlates with the variation of the so-called “natural” sound velocity determined by the pressure-dependent elasticity constants of the material. The observed frequency jump of the resonance peaks is due mainly to the relatively abrupt change in the dimensions of the crystal. The results of the acoustic measurements allow reliable recording of the switching effect and a study of its properties. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 290–294 (February 1997)