Engineering with nonlinear dielectrics

All dielectrics are nonlinear if subjected to sufficiently high electric fields. A high degree of dielectric nonlinearity can bring simplicity to many problems, especially those involving highly inhomogeneous field geometries. Given the simplifying assumptions that result from the dielectric nonlinearity, the field distribution often can be computed analytically to good accuracy, which is highly desirable given the alternative of a nonlinear numerical computation. This article discusses three examples in which nonlinear conditions affect dielectric performance in a manner that is easily predictable if the fundamentals of nonlinear systems are understood.