Acoustic emission upon spontaneous polarization in triglycine sulfate single crystals

Abstract

We report on the results of analysis of acoustic emission (AE) under thermal action on a triglycine sulfate (NH₂CH₂COOH)₃ ⋅ H₂SO₄ crystal. The triglycine sulfate single crystals grown from solution and not subjected to mechanical treatment are heated to a temperature above the Curie point (T_C = 49°C). During natural cooling of the crystal, a transition from the paraelectric to ferroelectric phase is accompanied by intense AE. In the temperature range ∼28–30°C, an anomalous drop of the mean-square voltage in the AE signal is observed against the background of monotonic accumulation of AE events.