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Critical Anomaly of the Electron Spin‐Lattice Relaxation in X‐Irradiated Rochelle Salt
Author(s) -
Völkel G.,
Müller H.E.,
Flohrer W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.2221080226
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , phase transition , anomaly (physics) , relaxation (psychology) , ferroelectricity , irradiation , materials science , electron , atmospheric temperature range , lattice (music) , spin–lattice relaxation , chemistry , physics , dielectric , thermodynamics , nuclear physics , psychology , social psychology , optoelectronics , paramagnetism , acoustics
Using the electron spin‐echo technique the spin‐lattice relaxation time T 1 of a free radical in X‐irradiated Rochelle salt and in the solid solution NaK 0.985 (NH 4 ) 0.015 C 4 H 4 O 6 · 4 H 2 O are determined in the temperature range from 90 to 300K. In the close vicinity of the upper and lower phase transitions of both crystals a critical behaviour of the longitudinal relaxation can be detected. Several ways of analysing this behaviour are discussed. They all reveal a critical increase of T 1 . Measurements of crystals irradiated with different X‐ray doses show that the anomaly in T 1 is shifted simultaneously with the phase transition temperatures. The observed anomaly is explained by the influence of an increasing phonon damping at the ferroelectric phase transition on the spin‐lattice relaxation time.