Radiation Damage Effects in Ferroelectric Triglycine Sulfate

Abstract

Peculiar changes in the ferroelectric hysteresis loops of single crystals of triglycine sulfate result when the crystals are subjected to ionizing radiations (x-rays and electrons). Fully polarized crystals develop hysteresis loops biased along the field axis while partially polarized crystals develop double-loop patterns, each subsidiary loop being biased to the same extent but in opposite directions. The biased loops retain their rectangularity during the early stages of the bombardment. The bias field builds up steadily during the bombardment while the reversible polarization shows no change at first but eventually, at a fairly well-defined value of the bias field, it begins to decay in a fairly rapid manner.