Possible dynamic phase transition of the quadrupolar glass (KCl)_1–x(KCN)_x

Abstract

The elastic shear response of the mixed cyanide (KCl)_1–x (KCN) _x , x = 0·80 and 0·60, orientational glasses has been investigated by low frequency mechanical measurements (2Hz < v > 256 Hz) and, for x = 0·80, additionally by measurements of the torsional resonance (at a few kHz) and by field cooling experiments. We suggest that the quadrupolar freezing of these samples is a dynamical phase transition.

Keywords:

• Orientational glasses
• shear elasticity
• random fields