Nature of physical phenomena in ferroelectric relaxors

The nature of physical phenomena in ferroelectric relaxors, i.e., ferroelectrics undergoing smeared phase transitions, is discussed. These phenomena are closely related to the dynamics of polar regions (PRs), in which thermal fluctuations cause relaxation processes that control the crystal properties. The PRs interact with one another not only via electrical but also via mechanical interactions, and the deformed paraelectric interlayers between PRs play an important role in the transition to a macrodomain state. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".