Energy criterion as the basis of the 'universal' dielectric response

It is suggested that, in comparison with accepted theories, the energy criterion approach to the understanding of the 'universal' dielectric response offers a significantly better overall insight into the physical and chemical nature of the polarization processes deviating strongly from the classical Debye spectra. The ability to interpret the entire range of dielectric phenomena within a unified body of theory represents one of the chief attractions of the proposed approach, while the prospect of being able to understand the conditions for obtaining the various limiting forms of behavior such as low-frequency dispersion (LFD), 'flat loss', or near-Debye spectra, constitutes a distinctive advance on the current state of dielectric theory, which is not able to offer clear interpretations of the widely observed universal laws. It is noted that there may exist many physical mechanisms capable of satisfying the energy criterion, and the applicability of any one of these has to be judged in light of the nature of the process in question. The author proposes three such mechanisms, one for relatively lossy dipole and hopping charge carrier systems, another for low-loss nonpolymers, and a third for LFD processes in which there is a clear electrochemical connection.<>