Dielectric response of one-dimensional polar chains.

We propose a theory for the dielectric constant of materials made of parallel infinite one-dimensional chains of dipoles. Each dipole is allowed to rotate in three dimensions. Monte Carlo simulations show that the Kirkwood factor of the chain grows with increasing dipole moment much faster than in the case of three-dimensional polar fluids. With increasing dipole moment or cooling the one-dimensional chain undergoes a continuous order-disorder transition to the ferroelectric phase, in which the dielectric constant is limited by the size of ferroelectric domains along the chain.