Absolute and arbitrary orientation of single-molecule shapes

We present a DNA origami molecule whose energy landscape on lithographic binding sites has a unique maximum. This property enabled device alignment within 3.2° on silica surfaces. Orientation was absolute (all degrees of freedom were specified) and arbitrary (the orientation of every molecule was independently specified). The use of orientation to optimize device performance was shown by aligning fluorescent emission dipoles within microfabricated optical cavities. Large-scale integration was demonstrated with an array of 3456 DNA origami with 12 distinct orientations that indicated the polarization of excitation light.

Source: ScienceNOW - February 18, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Gopinath, A., Thachuk, C., Mitskovets, A., Atwater, H. A., Kirkpatrick, D., Rothemund, P. W. K. Tags: Physics, Applied, Materials Science, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news