RECAP

Polarization

Types of Polarization

Relation between D, E and P

Total Polarization
Total Polarization
When a material experiences all three types of polarization, then total polarizability is
the sum of electronic, ionic and orientation polarizabilities
𝛼 = 𝛼𝑒 + 𝛼𝑖 + 𝛼𝑜

𝑝2
𝑃 = 𝑁 𝛼𝑒 + 𝛼𝑖 + 𝐸
3𝑘𝑇
Total polarization: P = 𝑃𝑒 + 𝑃𝑖 + 𝑃𝑜

𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑃 = 𝜒𝑒 𝜖0 𝐸 = (1 − 𝜖𝑟 )𝜖0

𝑃
= (1 − 𝜖𝑟 )𝜖0
𝐸
 Internal fields or local fields
In dielectric solids, the atoms or molecules experience not only the external applied
electric field but also the electric field produced by the dipoles.

The resultant electric field acting on the atoms or molecules of dielectric substance
is called the local field or an internal field.

Local field or internal field in a dielectric is the space and time average of the electric field
intensity acting on a particular molecule in the dielectric material.

Consider a dielectric between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor

Consider a imaginary spherical cavity enclosing the atom at O inside the dielectric

Radius of the cavity is large as compared to the radius of the atom

Internal fields in solids : Lorentz Method
The interfiled at the atom site O can be considered to be made up of following four
components: E1, E2, E3 and E4

E1 is the field intensity at O due to charge density on the plates and given by

𝑫
𝑬1 = ,
𝜖0

Since 𝑫 = 𝜖0 𝑬 + 𝑷

𝜖0 𝑬 + 𝑷
𝑬1 =
𝜖0

𝑷
𝑬1 = 𝑬 +
𝜖0
E2 is the field intensity at O due to charge density induced on the two sides of
𝑷
the dielectric and is given by 𝑬2 = −
𝜖0
E3 is the field intensity at O due to other atoms contained in the cavity, Assuming the cubic
symmetry E3 = 0

E4 is the field intensity due to polarization charges on the surface of the cavity and calculated y
Lorentz as follows

𝑑𝑆 = 2𝜋𝑟 2 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑑𝜃

Where dS is Surface area between θ & θ+dθ

The total charge present on the surface area dS is…

dq = (normal component of polarization) X (surface area)
𝑑𝑞 = 𝑷𝐶𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑑𝑆

𝑑𝑞 = 2𝜋𝑟 2 𝑷𝑪𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝜽𝒅𝜽

The field due to this charge at O, denoted by dE4 is given by

1 𝑑𝑞
𝑑𝑬𝟒 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 2

1 2𝜋𝑟 2 𝑷𝑪𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝜽𝒅𝜽

𝑑𝑬𝟒 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟2
Thus the total field E4 due to the charges on the surface of the entire cavity is
𝜋

𝑬4 = න 𝑑𝑬𝟒
0
𝜋
𝑷
𝑬𝟒 = න 𝐶𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑑𝜃
2𝜖0
0

Let 𝑥 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝜃 , 𝑑𝑥 = −𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑑𝜃

1
𝑷 2
𝑬𝟒 = න 𝑥 𝑑𝑥
2𝜖0
−1
3 1 𝑷
𝑷 𝑥
𝑬4 = 𝑬4 =
2𝜖0 3 3𝜖0
−1
The internal Field or the Lorentz field can thus be written as sum of all these fields

𝑬𝑖 = 𝑬1 + 𝑬2 + 𝑬3 + 𝑬4

𝑷 𝑷 𝑷
𝑬𝒊 = 𝑬 + − +0+
𝜖0 𝜖0 3𝜖0

𝑷
𝑬𝑖 = 𝑬 +
3𝜖0
CLAUSIUS- MOSSOOTTI EQUATION

Relation Between the dielectric constant of an insulator to the polarizability of the atoms.

Consider a solid dielectric exhibiting only electronic polarizability

𝑷
𝛼𝑒 =
𝑛𝐸𝐿

𝑷
𝛼𝑒 =
𝑃
𝑛 𝐸+
3𝜖0

Also 𝑃 = 𝜖0 𝜖𝑟 − 1 𝑬

Substituting we get
 𝜖0 𝜖𝑟 − 1 𝑬
𝛼𝑒 =
𝜖0 𝜖𝑟 − 1 𝑬
𝑛 𝐸+
3𝜖0

𝑛𝛼𝑒 1
=
𝜖0 1 1
+
𝜖𝑟 − 1 3

𝑛𝛼𝑒 𝜖𝑟 − 1
=
3𝜖0 𝜖𝑟 + 2

This equation is called the Clausius-Mossotti equation which is valid for non polar solids
having cubical symmetry