ferroelectric (antiferroelectric) transition

A transition from a ferroelectric to either another ferroelectric, or a paraelectric, or an antiferroelectric state. Example: The transition of the low-temperature, cubic paraelectric BaTiO3 to the high-temperature, tetragonal, ferroelectric form at 393 K.
Notes:
  1. In an antiferroelectric transition individual dipoles become arranged antiparallel to adjacent dipoles with the result that the net spontaneous polarization is zero.
  2. Ferroelectric/antiferroelectric transitions also occur in the liquid-crystal state. These states are dependent on the alternating nature of dipoles between layers in the smectic state.
See: ferroic transition
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 577 (Definitions of terms relating to phase transitions of the solid state (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)) on page 582