Finite-frequency optical absorption in 1D conductors and Mott-Hubbard insulators

The frequency-dependent conductivity is studied for the one-dimensional Hubbard model, using a selection rule, the Bethe ansatz, and symmetries associated with conservation laws. For densities where the system is metallic the absorption spectrum has two contributions, a Drude peak at $\omega = 0$ separated by a pseudogap from a broad absorption band whose lower edge is characterized by a non-classical critical exponent. Our findings shed new light on the ``far infrared puzzle'' and other optical properties of metallic organic chain compounds.