Dielectric Properties of Materials

Summary

The study of dielectric properties is concerned with the storage and dissipation of electric and magnetic energy in materials. In practice, most dielectric materials are solid. A dielectric is an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. When a dielectric is placed in an electric field, electric charges slightly shift from their average equilibrium positions, causing dielectric polarization. The factors contribute to the polarization of dielectric molecules: the formation of dipole moments and their orientation relatively to the electric field. The crystal structure and symmetry play a role in determining many of its physical properties, such as electronic band structure and optical transparency. This chapter considers an isolated atom of the crystal to discuss the behavior of electrons in a crystal. On the basis of the band structure, crystals can be classified into conductors, insulators, and semiconductors. The Fermi‐Dirac (FD) distribution function can be used to determine the energy distribution of free electrons in a metal.