title: A DNA ring acting as a thermal ratchet.
abstract: Several DNA nanomotors have been recently constructed in laboratories worldwide. These machines are, however, relatively slow and do not perform continuous rotations. We have recently proposed a rotary DNA nanomachine that shows a continuous rotation with a frequency of 10(2)-10(4) Hz. This motor is a closed DNA ring whose elastic features are tuned such that it can be externally driven via e.g. periodic temperature changes. As a result, the twirling ring propels itself through the fluid with a speed of tens of nanometres up to a few microns per second. The current paper gives a more detailed presentation of this motor and provides a derivation of the low- and high-frequency asymptotic behaviour of thermal ratchets in general.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Igor M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kulić
authors.forename: Rochish
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thaokar
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schiessel