Spin-dependent electron transport in protein-like single-helical molecules

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 111; no. 32; pp. 11658 - 11662
• Main Authors: Guo, Ai-Min, Sun, Qing-Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 12.08.2014; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Amino acids; Biological Sciences; Biophysical Phenomena; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Single-Stranded - chemistry; Electrodes; Electron transfer; Electron Transport; Electrons; Experiments; Geometric lines; Models, Chemical; Models, Molecular; Molecules; Parametric models; Physical Sciences; Physics; Protein Structure, Secondary; Proteins; Proteins - chemistry; Single stranded DNA; biological molecules; spin-filtering effect; spintronics; multiple transport pathways; chirality
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1407716111

We report on a theoretical study of spin-dependent electron transport through single-helical molecules connected by two nonmagnetic electrodes, and explain the experiment of significant spin-selective phenomenon observed in α-helical protein and the contradictory results between the protein and single-stranded DNA. Our results reveal that the α-helical protein is an efficient spin filter and the spin polarization is robust against the disorder. These results are in excellent agreement with recent experiments [Mishra D, et al. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110(37):14872–14876; Göhler B, et al. (2011) Science 331(6019):894–897] and may facilitate engineering of chiral-based spintronic devices.