1 Orientational polarisation

Materials can contain dipoles, which are oriented randomly (Fig. 1) due to their
collisions. If the material is exposed to electric field the orientation of dipoles is
altered. Higher part of time, their dipole moment points direction according to
the electric field (Fig. 2).

p0

(a) (b)

Figure 1: Orientation of dipoles Figure 2: Orientation of dipoles

if E = 0 if E ∕= 0

If the angle between the dipole and the electric field is θ (Fig. 3), the
potential energy of the dipole is

Epot (θ) = −mo · E = −mo E cos θ. (1)

Figure 3: Dipole in electric field

According to the equation above, the potential energy is 0 if the dipole is

perpendicular to the electric field.
In gaseous materials, the interaction of dipoles is negligible, therefore at T
temperature, the distribution of particles having Epot (θ) can be characterised
Epot (θ)
by Bolzmann statistics, i.e. proportional to e− kT . In a unit volume, the
vectors of particles having Epot (θ) forms a cone with 2θ angle (Fig. 4), which
can be also expressed by dΩ solid angle (Fig. 5).

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 Figure 4: The vectors of dipoles with same energy forms a cone

Hence, the number of molecules with θ angle is

Epot (θ)
n(θ) = Ae− kT dΩ, (2)

where Epot (θ) the energy of dipoles with θ angle. The A can be calculated, since

Figure 5: The θ angle dipoles form a dΩ solid angle.

the right side of equation has to be the number of particles per unit volume (N ,)
if it is integrated to the whole solid angle (4π), namely the whole surface of the
sphere. The (2) can be approximated by the first order term of its Taylor-series,
Epot (θ)
at normal temperature and field ranges, since the value of e− kT is small.
Hence, (2) is simplified to the following form:
! " ! "
Epot (θ) mo E cos θ
n(θ) = A 1− dΩ = A 1+ dΩ. (3)
kT kT

Since, the average value of cos θ is 0 by integration over the solid angle of full
sphere, (3) is simplified to multiplication of 4π and A. Hence

N
A= . (4)
4π
The polarisation can be expressed by the sum of dipole moments of all
particles in an elementary volume of the material, but only parallel component

2
of dipole moments to the field increases the polarisation of the material. Hence,
the dipole moment of a unit volume is
N
#
P = mo cos θi . (5)
i=1

The dipole moment of a $unit %volume can be also calculated by integration

of angular distribution over 0; π2 range:
& π
P = n(θ) mo cos θ 2π sin θ dθ. (6)
0

Putting n(θ) from (3) and using u = cosθ replacement (du = −sinθdθ), (6) can
be rewritten: & ! "
N −1 m0 E
P =− 1+ u m0 u du. (7)
2 1 kT
After the integration, the orientational polarisation is given
N m20 E
P = . (8)
3kT
From (8) the polarisability is
m20
αo = . (9)
3kT
Since P = ε0 χE, the susceptibility of orientational polarisation is
N m20
χ= . (10)
3ε0 kT
It can be seen that the polarisability of orientational polarisation is inverse
proportional to the temperature. By other words, the dielectric constant of the
material decreases with temperature increase:
N m20
εr = χ + 1 = + 1. (11)
3ε0 kT
The dependence according to 1/T is called Curie-law.

1.1 The spontanaeous polarisation

The Clausious-Mossotti equation in case of orientational polarisation is the fol-
lowing:
εr − 1 N αo N m20
= = . (12)
εr + 2 3ε0 9ε0 kT
N m20
Replacing 9ε0 k by Tc , (12) can be rewritten to

εr − 1 Tc
= (13)
εr + 2 T

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form. Tc represents the critical or Curie temperature of the material. Below
Tc , (12) can be solved by negative dielectric constant values. It means there is
a permanent polarisation in the material, the material spontaneously polarised.
Materials, which have this kind of characteristic are called ferroelectrics. The
ferroelectric materials above Curie temperatures behaves as a normal dielectrics.
The characteristics of dielectrics and ferroelectrics are in fig. 6.

Figure 6: P − E characteristics of dielectrics and ferroelectrics