Nonlinear dielectric response of Debye, α, and β relaxation in 1-propanol

We present nonlinear dielectric measurements of glass-forming 1-propanol, a prototypical example for the monohydroxy alcohols that are known to exhibit unusual relaxation dynamics, namely an additional Debye relaxation, slower than the structural a relaxation. Applying high ac fields of 468 kV/cm allows for a detailed investigation of the nonlinear properties of all three relaxation processes occurring in 1-propanol, namely the Debye, alpha, and beta relaxation. Both the field-induced variations of dielectric constant and loss are reported. Polarization saturation and the absorption of field energy govern the findings in the Debye-relaxation regime, well consistent with the suggested cluster-like nature of the relaxing entities. The behavior of the alpha relaxation is in good accord with the expectations for a heterogeneous relaxation scenario. Finally, the Johari-Goldstein beta-relaxation in 1-propanol seems to exhibit no or only weak field dependence, in agreement with recent findings for the excess wing of canonical glass formers. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.