One-dimensional semiconductor in a polar solvent: Solvation and low-frequency dynamics of an excess charge carrier

TL;DR

This paper investigates how solvation affects charge carriers in one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures, revealing that solvation can significantly reduce carrier mobility through polaron formation and dielectric relaxation.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified theoretical model to analyze low-frequency polaron dynamics and solvation effects in 1d semiconductors immersed in polar solvents.

Findings

Solvation induces self-localization of charge carriers into polarons.

Polaron mobility can be drastically reduced due to solvation effects.

Local dielectric relaxation modes influence polaron dynamics.

Abstract

Due to solvation, excess charge carriers on 1d semiconductor nanostructures immersed in polar solvents undergo self-localization into polaronic states. Using a simplified theoretical model for small-diameter structures, we study low-frequency properties of resulting 1d adiabatic polarons. The combined microscopic dynamics of the electronic charge density and the solvent leads to macroscopic Langevin dynamics of a polaron and to the appearance of local dielectric relaxation modes. Polaron mobility is evaluated as a function of system parameters. Numerical estimates indicate that the solvated carriers can have mobilities orders of magnitude lower than the intrinsic values.