Domain walls in Hg₂Br₂ and KSCN—role of strains

Abstract

The phenomenological approach is used for study properties of the domain walls in orthorhombic Hg₂Br₂ and KSCN. The surface free energies, thickness and internal stresses, as well as their dependence on the orientation of the domain walls, were calculated also quantitatively. It allows to determine the most favorable orientation of antiphase boundaries, the interaction between ferroelastic domain walls and the course of the order parameter and position-dependent stresses.

Key Words:

• Hg₂Br₂
• KSCN
• ferroelastic domains
• domain walls