Dielectric relaxation is the momentary delay (or lag) in the dielectric constant of a material. This is usually caused by the delay in molecular polarization with respect to a changing electric field in a dielectric medium (e.g. inside capacitors or between two large conducting surfaces). Dielectric relaxation in changing electric fields could be considered analogous to hysteresis in changing magnetic fields (for inductors or transformers). Relaxation in general is a delay or lag in the response of a linear system, and therefore dielectric relaxation is measured relative to the expected linear steady state (equilibrium) dielectric values. The time lag between electrical field and polarization implies an irreversible degradation of free energy(G).

In physics, dielectric relaxation refers to the relaxation response of a dielectric medium to an external electric field of microwave frequencies. This relaxation is often described in terms of permittivity as a function of frequency, which can, for ideal systems, be described by the Debye equation. On the other hand, the distortion related to ionic and electronic polarization shows behavior of the resonance or oscillator type. The character of the distortion process depends on the structure, composition, and surroundings of the sample.

The number of possible wavelengths of emitted radiation due to dielectric relaxation can be equated using Hemmings 1st Law

$n\; =\; frac\{l^2-l\}\{2\}$

n: number of different possible wavelengths of emitted radiation
l: number of energy levels (inc. ground level)

See also

• Dielectric relaxation as a chemical rate process
• Debye relaxation
• Dielectric dispersion
• Dielectric spectroscopy
• Dielectric function