A mechanism based on the peculiar dynamical properties of the hydrogen bond is suggested to describe fast proton transfers in hydrogen-bonded chains with realistic (weak) intersite proton-proton interactions. For this purpose, a two-sublattice model is suggested and studied analytically that admits an exact soliton solution. The solitons, which are topological objects (kinks and antikinks) on the one hand, but dynamical entities (like Boussinesq solitons) on the other hand, are shown to have a sufficiently large width to allow free propagation along the chain.

• Received 12 April 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.5706