Continuum theories of structured dielectrics

TL;DR

This paper reviews existing continuum theories of structured dielectrics, discusses conceptual challenges, and introduces a new generalized continuum field theory to better describe dielectric behavior in complex systems.

Contribution

It proposes a novel continuum field theory for structured dielectrics, advancing beyond previous phenomenological models and addressing fundamental conceptual issues.

Findings

Reviewed existing continuum approaches to dielectrics.

Identified conceptual issues in current theories.

Introduced a new generalized continuum field theory.

Abstract

Aequous dielectrics are ubiquitous in soft- and bio-nano matter systems. The theoretical description of such systems in terms of continuum (`macroscopic') theory remains a serious challenge. In this perspective we first review the existing continuum phenomenological approaches that have been developed in the past decades. In order to describe a path to advance continuum theory beyond these approaches we then take recourse to the Onsager-Dupuis theory of the dielectric behaviour of ice, which, for the case of a solid dielectric, exemplified important conceptual issues we deem relevant for the development of a more fundamental continuum theory of liquid dielectrics. Subsequently, we discuss our recently proposed continuum field theory of structured dielectrics, which provides a generalized approach to the dielectric behavior of such systems.