We have investigated the photoconductivity in the linear chain compoun
d K0.3MoO3. The experiments were performed at T=4.2 K using pulsed inf
rared laser beam with photon energy corresponding to the single partic
le gap. The electric field dependence of the observed photocurrent sug
gests that the optically excited electrons initiate the sliding of the
charge density wave condensate, and the current of the collective mod
e dominates over any single particle contribution. We discuss the role
of the electrostatic screening in this mechanism and give an estimati
on of the efficiency for a photon to excite an electron across the gap
.