Manifestation of a structural disorder in the polarization kinetics of a KD2PO4 ferroelectric

Crystalline potassium dideuterophosphate subjected to a slowly varying or a dc electric field has been found to exhibit polarization features which indicate the presence of a structural disorder characteristic of inhomogeneous systems. Continuous distribution spectra of the relaxation time are drawn from the experimental data and a phenomenological analysis of the depolarization of the crystal. It is shown that the spectra have an anomalous width and vary with temperature in a way suggesting the transformation of domain-wall potential barriers. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".