Transverse transport in coupled strongly correlated electronic chains

Abstract

One–particle interchain hopping in a system of coupled Luttinger liquids is investigated by use of exact diagonalizations techniques [1]. We give numerical evidence that inter-chain coherent hopping (defined by a nonvanishing splitting) can be totally suppressed for the Luttinger liquid exponent α∼ 0:4 or even smaller α values. The transverse conductivity is shown to exhibit a strong incoherent part even when coherent inter-chain hopping is believed to occur. Implications for the optical experiments in quasi-1D organic or high-T _c superconductors is outlined.