Abstract: A nucleic acid sequencer includes: an atomically thin membrane; a solid electrode spaced apart from the atomically thin membrane and arranged in a capacitive configuration with the atomically thin membrane; a spacer member; a complementary base covalently disposed on the atomically thin membrane and arranged to base pair with a nitrogenous base of the single stranded nucleic acid; a power source in electrical communication with the solid electrode and that provides electrical power to the solid electrode; and a resistor in electrical communication with the power source and that receives electric current from the power source and that also is in electrical communication with the atomically thin membrane such that an amount of the electric current changes in response to a change in the selected distance between the atomically thin membrane and the solid electrode.

Abstract: A detection pixel includes a material that is chosen so that its (averaged) atomic number density leads to the Compton process being the dominant scattering mechanism in response to incident photons, leading to production of Compton electrons with sufficient number and kinetic energy to produce an electric or magnetic response in the material. The incident photon and Compton electrons each have a characteristic travel distance in the material, and the detection pixel has at least one dimension that is selected according to a range defined by these characteristic travel distances. The detection pixels may be arranged in an array for imaging.

Abstract: A nucleic acid sequencer includes: an atomically thin membrane; a solid electrode spaced apart from the atomically thin membrane and arranged in a capacitive configuration with the atomically thin membrane; a spacer member; a complementary base covalently disposed on the atomically thin membrane and arranged to base pair with a nitrogenous base of the single stranded nucleic acid; a power source in electrical communication with the solid electrode and that provides electrical power to the solid electrode; and a resistor in electrical communication with the power source and that receives electric current from the power source and that also is in electrical communication with the atomically thin membrane such that an amount of the electric current changes in response to a change in the selected distance between the atomically thin membrane and the solid electrode.

Abstract: A detection pixel includes a material that is chosen so that its (averaged) atomic number density leads to the Compton process being the dominant scattering mechanism in response to incident photons, leading to production of Compton electrons with sufficient number and kinetic energy to produce an electric or magnetic response in the material. The incident photon and Compton electrons each have a characteristic travel distance in the material, and the detection pixel has at least one dimension that is selected according to a range defined by these characteristic travel distances. The detection pixels may be arranged in an array for imaging.