Kerr effect in the isotropic phase of p-azoxyanisole

Abstract

The electric birefringence in the isotropic phase of p-azoxyanisole is evaluated in terms of the pheno- menological model of de Gennes. It is shown that when the contributions of the polarizability and the permanent dipole moment are taken into account there should occur a reversal of sign of the birefringence a few degrees above the nematic-isotropic transition point Tc. The result is in accordance with experiment