Local excitations in mixed-valence bimetal chains

TL;DR

This paper studies localized intragap states in mixed-valence bimetal chains, using numerical and continuum models to analyze soliton and polaron excitations, highlighting their properties and similarities to trans-polyacetylene.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical and analytical comparison of soliton and polaron excitations in MMX chains, emphasizing their scaling and analogy to trans-polyacetylene.

Findings

Numerical calculations of soliton and polaron excitations in MMX chains.

Continuum-model analysis reveals scaling properties of these excitations.

Strong analogy established between MMX chains and trans-polyacetylene.

Abstract

We investigate localized intragap states in mixed-valence bimetal chains in an attempt to encourage further explorations into quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged binuclear metal (MMX) complexes. Within a coupled electron-phonon model, soliton and polaron excitations in the two distinct ground states of MMX chains are numerically calculated and compared. Making a continuum-model analysis as well, we reveal their scaling properties with particular emphasis on the analogy between MMX chains and trans-polyacetylene.