Relaxation processes in the incommensurate phase of a crystal with defects

The nature of the relaxation of the incommensurate superstructure of a ferr oelectric to the equilibrium state is investigated experimentally. It is sh own that near a phase transition the temperature dependence of the relaxati on time of the incommensurate phase of the defective crystal is exponential . This law agrees qualitatively with the notion of domain wall motion in an inhomogeneous medium containing "random local phase-transition temperature '' type defects. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7834(99)028 03-8].