Dynamical properties of the one-dimensional band insulator (NbSe4)(3)I

Optical and photoemission experiments reveal unexpected spectral signatures of one-dimensional band insulators. In the model compound (NbSe4)(3)I the optical conductivity decays as a power law sigma(1)(omega) similar to omega (-4.25) above a sharp gap edge. Photoemission observes both the valence and a shadow band, produced w by a commensurate superstructure. We identify an optical and photoemission band gap consistent with other measurements but much smaller than the energy scale defined by the dispersion of the band pe ak in the photoemission spectra.