The characteristics of the phenomenon of polar centers exhibiting Jahn
-Teller behavior in copper oxides are investigated by the pseudospin a
pproach, The emergence of relaxation pseudospin (dipole-quadrupole) mo
des and pseudospin-phonon interaction produces a number of anomalies i
n inelastic neutron scattering. The Jahn-Teller effect in polar center
s brings about a change in the character of the tetra-ortho transition
in the system La2-xMx-CuO4 as the concentration x is increased. The p
ossibility of the onset of fluctuation domain nanostructures is sugges
ted. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.