The Frequency Dependent Permittivity and AC Conductivity of Random Electrical Networks

It has been shown that the universal dielectric response (UDR) of heterogeneous materials can be reproduced by electrical networks consisting of randomly positioned resistor and capacitors. The random network represents a microstructure that contains both insulating (the capacitor) and conductive regions (the resistor). This paper presents an investigation into the frequency dependent properties of large numbers of resistor-capacitor (R-C) networks. Parameters investigated include permittivity, conductivity and phase angle, with particular emphasis on observed power-law behavior and a comparison with previous work in this area.