Transient electric birefringence theory

Wesenberg GE, Vaughan WE. Theory of the transient electric birefringence of rod-like polyions coupling of rotational and counterion dynamics. J Chem Phys 1987 87 4240-4241. 

The usefulness of electrical response measurements of solutions is not limited to effects linear in applied field. Transient birefringence induced by polarizing electric fields (the transient or dynamic Kerr effect) has given valuable information about biopolymers in solution the effect must by symmetry be an even function of E(t), beginning with terms in E (t). In both cases, a response theory treatment of transient behavior meets with difficulties not encountered in linear problems, but recent progress in deriving correlation function expressions for such effects is described in III. 

This electro-optical effect, commonly observed as transient changes in optical birefringence of a solution following application, removal, or reversal of a biasing electric field E(t), has been used extensively as a probe of dynamics of blopolymer solutions, notably by O Konski, and is a valuable tool because it gives information different in form, but related to, results from conventional dielectric relaxation measurements. The state of the subject to 1975 has been comprehensively presented in two review volumes edited by O Konski (25). The discussion here is confined to an outline of a response theory treatment, to be published in more detail elsewhere, of the quadratic effect. The results are more general than earlier ones obtained from rotational diffusion models and should be a useful basis for further theoretical and experimental developments. 

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