A Theory of Antiferroelectric Phase Transition in Copper Formate Tetrahydrate Crystals

Abstract

A theory of the antiferroelectric phase transition of copper formate tetrahydrate crystals is presented. In the consideration of entropy the dimer condition imposed on the proton configuration is taken into account. It has turned out that by the suitable choice of parameters for the orientational energy and the dipole interaction energy, the first order antiferroelectric phase transition and the experimental values of T 0 and T a can be satisfactorily explained.