14.

electric field in DIELECTRICS

•Dielectric materials differ from conductors
in that they have no free charges than can
move freely through the material under the
influence of an electric field.
•Dielectrics are presumed to contain bound
charges that cannot move freely, but can
shift positions when in the presence of the
field, which exerts forces upon them,
producing polarization, and non-uniform
polarization gives rise to new sources of the
field.

09:23 1
•i.e. E- fields produced by free charges in a
dielectric medium are analogous to those
produced by the same charges in a vacuum,
except that they are reduced by a factor .
•The reduction is due to polarization of the atoms
or molecules of the dielectric medium that
produces electric fields in opposition to that of
given charge.
09:23 2
•One immediate consequence is that the
capacitance of a capacitor is increased by
a factor  if the empty space between the
electrodes is filled with a dielectric medium
of dielectric constant  (assuming that
fringing fields can be neglected).
09:23 3
 Macroscopic Approach
• Under an electric field, there is no charge carriers moving
from one end to the other end – no conduction
• Charges respond to electric field - displacement
• Dielectric displacement
D  E
– Electric field E
– Dielectric constant  = ro
• Permittivity of free space o
• Relative dielectric constant r

09:23 4
 Linear isotropic dielectric
Assume that at a given point, the electrical properties
of the dielectric are independent of the direction of E,
such a condition is known as ISOTROPY, and

P   o E
D   oE  P   oE   o E   oE(1   )   r  oE  E
 r  (1   ) Dielectric constant or relative
permittivity of the material
   r o Absolute permittivity
o
r  relative permittivity of the material
09:23
 5
Homogeneous and inhomogeneous dielectrics

•When polarized a dielectric is a source of an E-field.

•Hence, the polarization of a dielectric body depends on
the primary field but also on its own polarization.
•Its own polarization can only be determined if the
dependence of the polarization vector and the total
field is known.
•Experimental evidence has shown that

PαE
Homogeneous if χ = is a constant at all points in the dielectric
Inhomogeneous other wise.
09:23 6
 Electric displacement D
Recall that: D   oE  P And

.E  thus
o
 D P  .D .P   f b
 . E   .       
 o o  o o o o o

So that
 . P   b
09:23 7
 A cube of dielectric exposed to a field E
develops polarization P

σp is the polarized surface charge density

ρp is the polarization volume charge density

09:23 8
 The relation ρb= -  . P
A cube of dielectric exposed to a field E
develops a polarization P
Normal components of P exists only on the
two faces

At the LHS, P is inward and –ve →σb is –ve .
At the RHS P is outward and +ve → σb is +ve
σb = Pn or σb = P.n or dqb=pdscos θ
where θ is the angle between n and p

09:23 9
 dqb=p.n ds=P.ds where ds= nds

For a closed surface inside dielectrics we have:

qb   dq   P.ds but qs  qb   P.ds

s

Volume charge density can also be used to

determine the surplus charge from the relation:

qs   b dv Comparing the two we obtain

v Divergence theorem

  dv   P.ds   (.P)dv
v
b
s v

   .Pdv  0 b  .P
v
b or

09:23 10
 Polarization

•The terrestrial environment is characterized by

dielectric media (e.g., air, water) which are, for the
most part, electrically neutral, since they are made
up of neutral atoms and molecules.
•However, if these atoms and molecules are placed
in an E- field they tend to polarize.
•Suppose that when a given neutral molecule is
placed in an electric field E the centre of charge of
its constituent electrons (whose total charge is -q)
is displaced by a distance r with respect to the
centre of charge of its constituent atomic nuclei.

09:23 11
 Dipole Moments
The polarity of a molecule is described by its dipole
moment, µ, given as:
 
  q
where charges of +q and -q are separated by a distance .
Typically, q is the charge on the electron:1.602 x10-19 C
and the magnitude of  is on the order of 1Å= 10-10 m,
giving µ = 1.602 x 10-29 Cm.

A “convenient” (and conventional) unit for polarity is

called a Debye:
+ -
1 D = 3.336 x 10-30 Cm
09:23
 12
 Polarizability, , {3 types}

Electric Polarization

Ionic Polarization

Orientational Polarization

09:23 13
 Electric Polarization e e.g. Polarisability of an atom

• An electric field will shift the electron cloud of an

atom relative to the positive nucleus.
E
_
_ +
+

Initial state In an electric field

• The extent of polarisation is determined by its

electronic polarisability, o.

09:23 14
 ELECTRONIC POLARIZABILITY e
Consider a mono-atomic of radius R having a total charge q. Let the
charge at point P at a distance r from the centre be q’.
Then taking the ratios of the charges to volume of each sphere
respectively, we have:
4 3
r
q' q qV 3 r3
  q'    Ze   Ze 3
V' V V 4 R
R 3
3
By Gauss’ law we have
3
q' r
         
2 3
E.dA E.4 r Ze Zer 4 E R
o  o R3
o


Recall that electric dipole moment is defined as qx=El e=4 EoR3
Assume El=E so that the electronic polarizability e is:
09:23  e  4 o R 3 15
 Simple Illustration of e- Polarisability
Without a field:
With a field:
Fext

Fint
  
ind   o E  e
 
Force on the electron due to the field: Fext = eE

Attractive, Coulombic force on the electron from nucleus:

2 2 
 dw (R ) e e  euind
Fint = = sin = =
dR 4 o R 2
4 o R R 4 o R 3
2

 
At equilibrium, the forces balance:
09:23 Fext = Fint 16
 Simple Illustration of e- Polarisability

  
uind   o E   e

 
Fext = Fint

Substituting expressions  euind
eE =
for the forces: 4 o R 3
 
Solving for the induced dipole moment: uind = 4 o R E
3

So we obtain an expression for the

polarisability:  = 4 R 3
o o
Electronic polarisability is proportional to the size of the atom!
09:23 17
 Example: Polarisation induced by an ion

Ca2+ dispersed in CCl4 (non-polar).

- +

What is the induced dipole moment in CCl4 at a distance of 2 nm?

By how much is the electron cloud of the CCl4 shifted?
09:23 18
Example: Polarisation Induced by an Ion
 
Ca2+ dispersed in CCl4 (non-polar). uind =  o E
Field from the  2e
E=
Ca2+ ion: 4 o r 2

From the literature, o

= 10.5x10 _ 30 m3
we find for CCl4: 4 o

Affected by the   o 2e
uind =
permittivity of 4 o r 2
CCl4:  = 2.2

We find when r = 2 nm: u = 3.82 x 10-31 Cm

u
Thus, an electron with  = = 2.38x10 _ 12 m = 0.02 Å
09:23
charge e is shifted by: e 19
 Ionic Polarization i

The positive and negative ions of an ionic

molecule are displaced in the presence of
an Electric field.

09:23 20
 Ionic Polarization
In ionic lattice, the positive ions are displaced in the direction
of an applied field while the negative ions are displaced in the
opposite direction, giving a resultant (apparent) dipole
moment to the whole body.
+
- - -
+ + - - +
- - - +
- -
+ + +
+ + - - +
- - + -
+ - + +
+
Electric field
09:23 21
 Orientational Polarization o

The one that occurs in materials possessing permanent

electric dipoles which are randomly oriented in the
absence of an external electric field, but undergoing a
partial or total orientation toward the applied electric
vector by amounts depending on the strength of the
electric field. [orientational polarizabilty].

09:23 22
 Polarisability of Polar Molecules
In a liquid, molecules are continuously rotating and turning, so the time-
averaged dipole moment for a polar molecule in the liquid state is 0.

An external electric field can partially align dipoles:

+

E 
-
Let  represent the angle between the dipole moment of a
molecule and an external E-field direction. 
 E 2
The induced dipole moment is:   cos 
ind
2

kT

The spatially-averaged value of <cos2> = 1/3

2
As µ = E, we can define an orientational polarisability.  orient 
3kT

The molecule still has electronic polarisability, so the total

polarisability, , is given as: Debye-Langevin
2
09:23   o  23
3kT equation
 Orientational Polarization
• In liquids and gases, molecules with
dipole moments align with the electric
field
– The alignment is not perfect at finite
temperatures, since the number of
molecules with energy E is proportional to
exp(-E/kT)
E  (E) cos 
– Energy of a dipole in an electric field
• E is the energy and (E) is the electric field
• The number of dipoles in a solid angle dW

E cos 
A exp( )2 sin d
kT
09:23 24
 Average Dipole Moment
• The average dipole moment in an electric field is the net
moment of the assembly divided by the total number of
dipoles 

   0
A exp(E cos  / kT)2 sin ( cos )d

0 A exp(E cos  / kT)2 sin d
 1 a  E / kT
– Solution  L(a )  coth(a ) 
 a

• Langevin function L(a)

• For small a     2 E / 3kT   d E

• It is inversely proportional to temperature

09:23 25
In linear and isotropic dielectrics , the dipole moment per unit volume is:

 P P  P
P  N  E  b    E  b 
N  o 
 o 
P P  1 b
b E 
P    E
N o  N  o 

 Nb 
 1   NE
P
o  P    o E
 N 
 E Nb
 
1
  o
N

Where Nb
1
o
where χ is a dimensionless constant called
the electric susceptibility of the dielectric.
09:23 26
General expression for clausius-mossotti equation

Assume that the Eo is applied along some of the

main axis (j=1,2,3) of an ellipsoid i.e.

El at any point inside the ellipsoid is given by:

P
El  E o   j
o (1)

09:23 Polarization factor depending on the ratio of the axes 27

 Recall that P  N  El (2)

Plug 2 in 1 to obtain: El  Eo   j
NEl
o
which can be rearranged as: E 1   N   E
l  
o 
j o

Making El the subject of the relation gives
Eo
El 
N
1  j
o (3)

Recall also that P  NEl   oEo (  1) so that

 o Eo (  1)
El  (4)

09:23 N 28
 Equate(3) and (4) to obtain:
 o Eo (  1) Eo  o (  1) 1
 
N N N 1  j
N
1  j o
 N   o
N   o (  1)1   j 
 o 
N
  o (  1)   o (  1) j
o
N  (  1) j N   o (  1) N 1  (  1) j    o (  1)
N (  1) N (n 2  1)
 Since =n2 
 o 1   j (  1) o 1   j (n 2  1)
N n 2  1
 2
For a sphere j=⅓ so that
09:23
3 o n  2 29
 E-field applied perpendicular to the z-
axis of a cylindrical like cavity

09:23 30
 To show that El = - P/2o
Generally E due to polarization changes P
E  i
on the surface of a n ellipsoid is given by: o
Where i=1, 2, and 3.
P is the polarization vector, i is the polarization factor
depending on the ratios of the axes and
1+ 2+ 3 =1
For a long cylinder in which E is normal to the axis as
shown in the sketch of the previous slide, 3 =0 because E
is perpendicular to the z-axis.
Thus 1+ 2 =1 and using the fact that 1= 2= 
2 =1 or =½. Thus
P
El  
09:23 2 o 31