Magnetoplastic effect in NaNO2 ferroelectric crystals

This paper reports on a laser interferometric study of the effect of a dc magnetic field (MF) on the rate of plastic deformation (creep) epsilon of NaNO2 ferroelectric crystals under compression. It is established that the application of a dc MF to a loaded specimen results in an increase in the creep rate and that removal of the MF brings about a decrease in epsilon. Subjecting an unloaded specimen to a dc MF beforehand also affects its strain rate under the subsequent loading. The observed magnetoplastic effect is most clearly pronounced within a certain epsilon interval, and the magnitude of this effect for the NaNO2 ferroelectric is several times larger than that for LiF crystals. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".