Effect of base-pair inhomogeneities on charge transport along DNA mediated by twist and radial polarons

Abstract

Some recent results for a three--dimensional, semi--classical, tight--binding model for DNA show that there are two types of polarons, named radial and twist polarons, that can transport charge along the DNA molecule. However, the existence of two types of base pairs in real DNA, makes it crucial to find out if charge transport also exist in DNA chains with different base pairs. In this paper we address this problem in its simple case, an homogeneous chain except for a single different base pair, what we call a base-pair inhomogeneity, and its effect on charge transport. Radial polarons experience either reflection or trapping. However, twist polarons are good candidates for charge transport along real DNA. This transport is also very robust with respect to weak parametric and diagonal disorder.