Dielectric and Shear-Mechanical “Humps” in the Nonlinear Response of Polar Glassformers

Many glassformers display electrorheological effects and a pronounced maximum in their frequency dependent nonlinear dielectric response. The latter so-called "hump" feature was often linked to correlated-particle motions and, so far, was not explored in the large-perturbation mechanical response of viscous liquids. To first clarify the electro-viscoelastic coupling in the linear domain, using the modified Gemant, DiMarzio, and Bishop model, it is demonstrated how the small-amplitude shear mechanical response of <i>S</i>-methoxy-PC, a derivative of propylene carbonate, can be related to its complex dielectric permittivity. Then, in the nonlinear regime, a "hump" feature is identified in the rheological third-order shear modulus of <i>S</i>-methoxy-PC and of another polar glassformer, propylene glycol. Thus, the observation of a "hump" in the cubic response of viscous liquids does not necessarily rely on the application of electrical fields.