Converting external potential fluctuations into nonzero time-average electric currents using a single nanopore

Abstract

The possibility of taking advantage of a fluctuating environment for energy and information transduction is a significant challenge in biological and artificial nanostructures. We demonstrate here directional electrical transduction from fluctuating external signals using a single nanopore of conical shape immersed in an ionic aqueous solution. To this end, we characterize experimentally the average output currents obtained by the electrical rectification of zero time-average input potentials. The transformation of external potential fluctuations into nonzero time-average responses using a single nanopore in liquid state is of fundamental significance for biology and nanophysics. This energy and information conversion constitutes also a significant step towards macroscopic scaling using multipore membranes. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.