  The density-matrix renormalization-group (DMRG) method is used to investigate
optical excitations in the Mott insulating phase of a one-dimensional extended
Hubbard model. The linear optical conductivity is calculated using the
dynamical DMRG method and the nature of the lowest optically excited states is
investigated using a symmetrized DMRG approach. The numerical calculations
agree perfectly with field-theoretical predictions for a small Mott gap and
analytical results for a large Mott gap obtained with a strong-coupling
analysis. Is is shown that four types of optical excitations exist in this Mott
insulator: pairs of unbound charge excitations, excitons, excitonic strings,
and charge-density-wave (CDW) droplets. Each type of excitations dominates the
low-energy optical spectrum in some region of the interaction parameter space
and corresponds to distinct spectral features: a continuum starting at the Mott
gap (unbound charge excitations), a single peak or several isolated peaks below
the Mott gap (excitons and excitonic strings, respectively), and a continuum
below the Mott gap (CDW droplets).
