Excitations in Incommensurate Biphenyl: Proton Spin-Lattice Relaxation

Abstract
In the upper incommensurate phase of biphenyl, spin relaxation is relatively rapid, because of low-frequency excitations (phasons). The relaxation follows T11T43ω13; this is the first report of a Larmor-frequency dependence of T1 in an incommensurately distorted solid. The frequency dependence suggests that the phasons are gapless. In the low-temperature incommensurate phase, peaks in T11 are evident at low frequencies. The motion responsible is thermally activated and may kinetically inhibit commensuration.

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