Conductivity relaxation in positive dielectric liquid crystals

Abstract

Measurements are reported of the frequency dependence of the conductivities σ_⊥ and σ_∥ in some nematic liquid crystals with strong positive dielectric anisotropy which are nematic at room temperature. The conductivity relaxation which causes σ_∥ to increase already at frequencies ∥−σ_⊥ is shown to be strongly frequency dependent. The relaxation times τ_⊥ and τ_∥ due to the respective rotation of the molecules in a plane perpendicular and parallel to their long axes were determined.