Charge Motion along Polynucleotide Chains in a Constant Electric Field Depends on the Charge Coupling Constant with Chain Displacements

TL;DR

This study investigates how charge motion along polynucleotide chains in a constant electric field varies depending on the charge coupling constant, revealing different motion regimes such as uniform, oscillatory, or stationary states.

Contribution

It demonstrates how the charge coupling constant influences the electric field thresholds for different charge motion regimes in polynucleotide chains.

Findings

Charge motion regimes depend on the coupling constant.

Different coupling constants lead to different electric field thresholds.

Charge motion can be uniform, oscillatory, or stationary at the same field.

Abstract

Various regimes of a charge motion along a chain in a constant electric field are investigated. This motion is simulated on the basis of the Holstein model. Earlier studies demonstrate a possibility of a uniform motion of a charge in a constant electric field over very long distances. For small values of the electric field intensity a Holstein polaron can move at a constant velocity. As the electric field intensity increases, a charge motion acquires oscillatorily character, performing Bloch oscillations. Since the charge motion depends on the whole set of the system parameters the character of the motion depends not only on the value of the electric field intensity. Therefore, the electric field intensity for which the uniform motion takes place differs for chains with different parameters. The character of the charge motion and distribution is considered in chains with different values of the constant of coupling between the charge and the displacements of the chain. It is shown that the values of the electric field intensity for which the regime of a charge motion changes are different in chains with different values of the coupling constant. It is also demonstrated that for one and the same value of the electric field intensity, in chains with different values of the coupling constant either a uniform motion or an oscillatory motion, or a stationary polaron can be observed.