Dielectric spectroscopy - yesterday, today and tomorrow

Dielectric spectroscopy is an old experimental tool which has dramatically developed in the last two decades. It covers nowadays the extraordinary spectral range from 10(-6) to 10(12) Hz. This enables researchers to make sound contributions to contemporary problems in modern physics. Two examples will be briefly presented: the scaling behavior of the glass transition and the dynamics of molecules in confined space. In a brief outlook novel perspectives of dielectric techniques will be discussed, e.g. non-resonant dielectric hole-burning spectroscopy, dielectric thermal expansion spectroscopy or dielectric measurements using an atomic force microscope. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.