The Kerr effect in a model three-component microemulsion has been investigated using an improved experimental setup. These new measurements, which cover a wide range of droplet volume fractions, $0\%<\mathrm{}\phi <30\%$, suggest that the Kerr coefficient $K$ scales as ${\phi }^2$ throughout the entire range of concentrations. This scaling behavior suggests that Kerr effect in the microemulsion is intrinsically a many-body problem rather than a single-body problem as previously suggested. It remains an intriguing possibility that the microemulsion forms clusters comprising many droplets even in dilute concentrations.

• Received 5 August 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.57.797