Dielectric Relaxation and the Glass Transition in Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Dielectric relaxation studies in nematic liquid crystals with $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{E}}\parallel \overrightarrow{\mathrm{n}}$ give the unique opportunity to study a microscopically well-defined kinetic process in a temperature interval extending below $T_g$. Relaxation is nearly exponential at all temperatures and obeys the Vogel-Fulcher law even below $T_g$.