title: Spin-dependent electron transport in protein-like single-helical molecules.
abstract: 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.
authors: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China;
authors: Ai-Min
authors: AM
authors: Guo
authors: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China; andCollaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China sunqf@pku.edu.cn.
authors: Qing-Feng
authors: QF
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D004579:Electron Transport; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D011506:Proteins
keywords: biological molecules; chirality; multiple transport pathways; spin-filtering effect; spintronics