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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Scanning-probe Single-electron Capacitance Spectroscopy
Published on: July 30, 2013
Optocapacitance: physical basis and its application
Bernardo I Pinto1, Carlos A Z Bassetto1, Francisco Bezanilla1,2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 USA.
Abstract:
The observation that membrane capacitance increases with temperature has led to the development of new methods of neuronal stimulation using light. The optocapacitive effect refers to a light-induced change in capacitance produced by the heating of the membrane through a photothermal effect. This change in capacitance manifests as a current, named optocapacitive current that depolarizes cells and therefore can be used to stimulate excitable tissues. Here, we discuss how optocapacitance arises from basic membrane properties, the characteristics of the optocapacitive current, its use for neuronal stimulation, and the challenges for its application in vivo.
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