Polyacene and a new class of quasi-one-dimensional conductors

Abstract

Most one-dimensional conductors are quite similar since the Fermi surface is a point and the electron energy dispersion relation near the Fermi surface is linear. It is pointed out that in polyacene the Fermi surface lies at the edge of the Brillouin zone, but that an accidental degeneracy between the valence and conduction bands makes it metallic nonetheless. The dispersion relation is therefore quadratic, and the density of states diverges at the Fermi surface. Thus, polyacene [${\left({\mathrm{C}}_4{\mathrm{H}}_2\right)}_n$] and its possible derivatives represent a conceptually new class of quasi-one-dimensional conductors. Moreover, we find that this class of materials has the possibility of possessing interesting condensed phases including high-temperature superconductivity and ferromagnetism.