Near-surface domain structures in uniaxially stressed

Weak uniaxial stress (< 1 kPa) along the cubic [100] and [110] directions of modifies significantly the domain structure near the crystal surface on cooling to the tetragonal phase. High-resolution x-ray rocking curves show that oriented slabs have a preference of ` c ' domains perpendicular to a small (001) surface. On heating from 10 K the domain population increasingly randomizes when the transition point is approached. In oriented slabs the domain population is more random with little temperature dependence for nominally stress-free samples. Uniaxial stress along increases the population of ` a ' domains for . The ` c ' domains have characteristically shorter length scales perpendicular to the surface than the larger ` a ' domains. The rocking angle of ` c ' domains has a much larger angular spread (ca ) than those of ` a ' domains.