Surface transport and quantum Hall effect in ambipolar black phosphorus double quantum wells.

Quantum wells (QWs) constitute one of the most important classes of devices in the study of two-dimensional (2D) systems. In a double-layer QW, the additional "which-layer" degree of freedom gives rise to celebrated phenomena, such as Coulomb drag, Hall drag, and exciton condensation. We demonstrate facile formation of wide QWs in few-layer black phosphorus devices that host double layers of charge carriers.

Reading DNA at single-nucleotide resolution with a mutant MspA nanopore and phi29 DNA polymerase.

Nanopore technologies are being developed for fast and direct sequencing of single DNA molecules through detection of ionic current modulations as DNA passes through a pore's constriction. Here we demonstrate the ability to resolve changes in current that correspond to a known DNA sequence by combining the high sensitivity of a mutated form of the protein pore Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) with phi29 DNA polymerase (DNAP), which controls the rate of DNA translocation through the pore. As phi29 DNAP synthesizes DNA and functions like a motor to pull a single-stranded template through MspA, we observe well-resolved and reproducible ionic current levels with median durations of ∼28 ms and ionic current differences of up to 40 pA.