Scaling procedures in colloidal electro-optics

In a series of recent papers, we demonstrate the possibility to use the complete electro-optic saturation curves (or arbitrary part of them) to analyse the polarization mechanisms of charged colloidal particles. Scaling of the electro-optic saturation curves by field intensity permits to find the frequency range in which the functional dependence of the effects, hence the orientation mechanism remains unchanged. Similar procedure can be applied to verify the changes of this dependence with variation of particle electric parameters. When different polarization mechanisms are involved the new scale helps their analysis.

The aim of the present paper is to summarize the basic applications and advantages of the scaling method in the electro-optic investigation of charged colloids.