Driven polymer translocation through nanopores: Slow-vs.-fast dynamics

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of polymer translocation through nanopores under external driving by 3D Langevin Dynamics simulations, focusing on the scaling of the average translocation time τ vs. the length of the polymer, τ∼Nα. For slow translocation, i.e., under low driving force and/or high friction, we find α≈1+ν≈1.588, where ν denotes the Flory exponent. In contrast, α≈1.37 is observed for fast translocation due to the highly deformed chain conformation on the trans side, reflecting a pronounced non-equilibrium situation. The dependence of the translocation time on the driving force is given by τ∼F-1 and τ∼F- 0.80 for slow and fast translocation, respectively. These results clarify the controversy on the magnitude of the scaling exponent α for driven translocation.