Electrostriction of Polar Glasses

Abstract

We develop a finite temperature theory for the susceptibility and electrostriction of isotropic substances in which permanent electric dipoles are restrained from free rotation by elastic forces. All parameters are constrained by the measured susceptibility and elastic constants. When applied to polyurethane, the predicted electrostriction is approximately consistent wiht some of the wide range of data. The saturation of the electrostriction at high field may be explained qualitatively if the dipoles consist of several amide groups locked together by crystallization of the hard segments of the polymer.