Disorder-induced neutral solitons in degenerate ground state polymers.

Figge MT, Mostovoy M, Knoester J (1999) Disorder-induced neutral solitons in degenerate ground state polymers. Synthetic Metals 101(1-3), 388-389.

Abstract

We study the effects of weak off-diagonal disorder on π-conjugated polymers with a doubly degenerate ground-state. We find that disorder induces a finite density of neutral solitons in the lattice dimerization of a polymer chain. Interchain interactions result in a linear potential between the solitons and, if sufficiently strong, bind them into pairs resulting in an exponential suppression of the soliton density. As neutral solitons carry spin 1/2, they contribute to the polymer's magnetic properties. We calculate the magnetic susceptibility and suggest measurements of the magnetic susceptibility in trans-polyacetylene at low temperatures.

Leibniz-HKI-Autor*innen

Marc Thilo Figge

Identifier

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-6779(98)00827-3