Thermal expansion and memory effect in the ferroelectric-semiconductor TlGaSe2

Abstract

The effect of thermal annealing within the incommensurate phase (memory effect) on thermal expansion of ferroelectric-semiconductor crystal TlGaSe2 has been investigated. Strong transformation of linear expansion coefficients both in the layers plane and in the direction perpendicular to the layers has been observed for the first time as a result of annealing. It is supposed that internal electric fields (electret states) activated during the annealing greatly effect the dimension of the crystal via electrostriction. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3182825]