On the theory of pyro- and ferroelectrics: Dipole moment density and polarization

The physical origin of the ambiguity related to the dependence of the polarization on the choice of the unit cell in a crystal is established in the framework of classical electrodynamics. It is shown that the electric polarization of a crystal is determined not only by the charge distribution in the unit cell (dipole moment density) but also by the microscopic mechanism of symmetry breaking in the polar phase. An approach to the calculation of the polarization invariant with respect to the choice of the unit cell is suggested. It is demonstrated that the dependence of the polarization on the mechanism of formation of the polar phase exists in the “modern topological theory” of polarization too.