Dielectric constants of binary rare-earth compounds

The dielectric constants of rare-earth oxides (RE2O3) and rare-earth nitrid es, phosphides, arsenides, and antimonides (REX, RE = rare-earth element, X = N, P, As, Sb) are quantitatively estimated. The estimation is based on t he approximately linear relationship between the dielectric constant and th e atomic number of the constituent atoms. Similar correlations are valid in nearly all series of related compounds; thus the approach presented here c an be used as an effective tool in the search for materials with specific p roperties, e.g, high dielectric constants.