High mobility conduction in insulating polymers through fast soliton-like charge pulses

We present evidence for the existence of a new form of charge transport in insulating polymers which takes the form of charge pulses that move exceptionally quickly across the insulation in comparison to the charge carrier mobility typical of such materials. This phenomenon could be associated with electromechanical compression of the polymer (a minimum amount of charge is needed for this to occur) that triggers a discontinuous injection of charge at the electrodes and allows transport inside the bulk through chain displacement modes. These pulses behave as charged solitary waves, or solitons, with a speed that corresponds to a mobility of some orders of magnitude higher than that of independent carriers.