Non-Debye Behavior of Dipolar Relaxation in Systems with Dipolar Interaction

The study of dipolar relaxation in hydrated cerium sulphate single crystals by TSDC reveals a non-Debye behavior. The relaxation time does not follow an Arrhenius law. This fact is ascribed without ambiguities to dipolar interaction occurring during the relaxation process. This interaction arises from both the high density of structural dipoles existing in the crystals and their weak bonding energy. By means of the fractional emptying technique we have gradually reduced the dipole density and therefore the dipolar interaction. The study of the relaxation time related to each TSDC peak leads to relations between the activation energy of the interacting process and the strength of this interaction.