When an excess charge carrier is added to a one-dimensional (1D)semiconductor immersed in a polar solvent, the carrier can undergoself-localization into a large-radius adiabatic polaron. We explore the localoptical absorption from the ground state of 1D polarons using a simplifiedtheoretical model for small-diameter tubular structures. It is found that about90% of the absorption strength is contained in the transition to the secondlowest-energy localized electronic level formed in the polarization potentialwell, with the equilibrium transition energy larger than the binding energy ofthe polaron. Thermal fluctuations, however, cause a very substantial -- anorder of magnitude larger than the thermal energy -- broadening of thetransition. The resulting broad absorption feature may serve as a signature forthe optical detection of solvated charge carriers.
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