The dielectric coupling of low-energy excitations in vitreous silica to electromagnetic waves

Abstract

Measurements of the variation of the dielectric constant with temperature at 11 GHz and between 0.4 and 14K have shown that the coupling between electromagnetic waves and the low-energy excitations present in vitreous silica strongly depends on the concentration of OH- ions. This result can be explained by an increase of the density of states of the coupled excitations with the OH- content.