Magnetostriction during field transformation of the domain structure of an easy-plane antiferromagnet in the case of a magnetoelastic mechanism for the multidomain state

The features of the transformation of the multidomain state of an easy-plane antiferromagnet in an external magnetic field are investigated in the case of a magnetoelastic origin of the multidomain state. Experimental data are presented on the field dependence of the induced magnetostriction of the easy-plane two-sublattice antiferromagnet $CoCl2$ at different temperatures. In the discussion of the experiments and in the theoretical description we use the approximation of a continuous distribution of domains in the easy plane. It is shown that the orientational distribution of the domains upon the introduction of a magnetic field depends only on the magnitude and direction of the field and is independent of temperature. These features of the distribution of domains can be explained by a matching of their equilibrium magnetostriction with the elasticity of defects wherein the elasticity of the domains compensates the elasticity of the defects.