Microwave-field-driven acoustic modes in DNA

The direct coupling of a microwave field to selected DNA molecules is demonstrated using standard dielectrometry. The absorption is resonant with a typical lifetime of 300 ps. Such a long lifetime is unexpected for DNA in aqueous solution at room temperature. Resonant absorption at fundamental and harmonic frequencies for both supercoiled circular and linear DNA agrees with an acoustic mode model. Our associated acoustic velocities for linear DNA are very close to the acoustic velocity of the longitudinal acoustic mode independently observed on DNA fibers using Brillouin spectroscopy. The difference in acoustic velocities for supercoiled circular and linear DNA is discussed in terms of solvent shielding of the nonbonded potentials in DNA.