Dispersive rotation of dipoles in amorphous media

The dispersive rotation of dipoles under the influence of an applied electric field is described simply and accurately using a time-dependent diffusion coefficient. There is excellent agreement between theory and measurement. This analysis shows that the dispersive rotational dynamic is described well by a power law in time and hence has no characteristic lifetime, unlike the conventional biexponential description. This has important implications for the characterization of the transient response of any electro-optic process or device based on the rotation of dipoles in an amorphous material such as a polymer or glass. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.