Nanopore in metal-dielectric sandwich for DNA position control

We present the concept of a nanoelectromechanical device capable of controlling the position of DNA inside a nanopore with a single nucleotide accuracy. The device utilizes the interaction of discrete charges along the backbone of a DNA molecule with the electric field inside the nanopore. In analogy to solid state transistors in which a small voltage controls the current between two electrodes, a voltage strategically located inside the nanopore can control the translocation of a single DNA molecule between a cis and a trans reservoirs. We propose an immediate application of the device as a replacement of capillary electrophoresis in DNA sequencing. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.