Graphene field effect nanopore glycine detector

We present a new class of Graphene Nanopores that are tunable by means of a lateral in-plane field effect. The field effect is self-induced and does not require an additional gate terminal, and results in strong control over the channel's conductivity. This capability can be used in order to tune the conductivity of the channel, making it comparable to the change in conductance induced by the translocation of a specific biomolecule through the Nanopore, leading to enhanced detection with very high sensitivity and specificity. Here, we present the use of this device for the detection of Glycine, an important biomarker of malignancy in early childhood brain-tumors, whose detection at very low levels can lead to early detection of cancerous brain-tumors and allow for their early removal. Quantum mechanical simulation results show that a translocation of a single Glycine molecule can be detected with more than 25% change in conductance, with high current levels near the microamps range and with very high specificity when present in aqueous solution.