Interchain Pair Hopping of Solitons and Polarons via Dopants in Polyacetylene

Interchain hopping of solitons and polarons in polyacetylene is studied by numerical simulation of their motion under an electric field. Use is made of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model supplemented with intrachain electron-electron interactions and dopant potentials. We find that charged solitons can hop to the opposite chain by forming bound pairs (bipolarons). For the case of polarons also, hopping in a pair is more favorable than single polaron hopping. Interchain hopping of a polaron pair is more efficient than that of a soliton pair.