  We study one-electron tunneling through atomic-scale one-dimensional wires in
the presence of coherent electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling. We use a full quantum
model for the e-ph interaction within the wire with open boundary conditions.
We illustrate the mechanisms of transport in the context of molecular wires
subject to boundary conditions imposing the presence of a soliton defect in the
molecule. Competition between polarons and solitons in the coherent transport
is examined. The transport mechanisms proposed are generally applicable to
other one-dimensional nanoscale systems with strong e-ph coupling.
