Metallic state in disordered quasi-one-dimensional conductors

The metallic state in conjugated polymers and single-walled carbon nanotubes is studied by dielectric spectroscopy (8–600 GHz). We have found an intriguing correlation between scattering time $\left(\tau \right)$ and plasma frequency $\left({\omega }_p\right):\tau \propto {\omega }_p^{-1.3}.$ This relation conflicts with the usually applied models that only consider disorder. Based on the observed parallels with doped semiconductors, we argue that the interchain coupling $t_{\perp }$ plays a role comparable to the doping level and that the unusual free-carrier dynamics in the metallic state can be explained when including the role of $t_{\perp }$ in the conventional models.