Quadrupole Spin-Phonon Relaxation and Ferroelectric Transition

Abstract

We report the observation of a peak in the ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}$ nuclear relaxation rates in NaN${\mathrm{O}}_2$ at the ferroelectric transition. This effect is explained on the basis of the theory of the transition in terms of lattice dynamics. It is argued that nuclear spin-phonon relaxation can be a powerful tool of investigation of the ferroelectric transition.