Conjugated polymers in a strong longitudinal electric field

The effect of a strong longitudinal electric field on the dimerization ampl itude and the formation energy of solitons is considered by exact diagonali zation studies within the self-consistent adiabatic approximation for open chains described by the extended Peierls-Hubbard-model. The interplay of in termediately strong electron-electron (el-el) and electron-lattice (el-ph) interactions as well as the external electric fields are considered. Possib le implications for devices based on conjugated polymers which support pola rons and bipolarons are suggested.