Physics Commons^™

Isotropy Group Description Of A Phase Transition In Nano3, W. Scott Stornetta, Dorian M. Hatch

Faculty Publications

Predictions of the possible post-transition symmetries of an R 3c zone center continuous phase transition are made using recent extensions of the Landau theory. The Landau theory is summarized and direct group theoretical methods are applied to the R 3c phase. General techniques for solving systems of nonlinear polynomial equations are reviewed and these techniques are applied to the minimization of the free energy F for the aforementioned possible symmetries. The results of the direct methods and the minimization procedures are shown to be compatible. It is shown that the transition to R 3c in NaNO3 is consistent with the …