Abstract
It is shown that the competition between short-range repulsion and the interaction between quadrupole moment and fluctuating field gradient strongly influences the elastic softening and ferroelastic instabilities of ionic molecular solids. This theory is applied to explain the ferroelastic properties of alkali cyanides and superoxides.
- Received 9 November 1981
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.48.936
©1982 American Physical Society
