DNA-based tunable THz oscillator

The intrinsic helix conformation of the DNA strands is known to be the key ingredient of control of the electric current through the molecule by the perpendicular (gate) electric field. We show theoretically that Bloch oscillations in periodic systems with helical conformation are also strongly affected by such lateral field; the oscillation frequency splits into a manifold of several generally non-commensurate frequencies leading to a complicated pattern of the charge motion. For model parameters typical for the DNA the frequency of such oscillations falls in the THz domain, suggesting a possibility to design a DNA-based nano-scale source of THz radiation.