ABSTRACT
Protein-based photonic devices gain comparative advantage from the unique properties of proteins, and the fact that nature has optimized many proteins for the efficient conversion of light to structural changes. Additional advantages derive from the fact that many proteins produce a voltage, a current or change in polarizability in response to light absorption, and carry out this function with a high quantum efficiency and speed [1]. More recently, investigators are approaching the use of proteins in device applications from the perspective that nature has provided a template for optimization rather than a material with optimal properties. This view is made possible by significant advances in genetic engineering and the use of techniques such as directed evolution. The combination of in vitro genetic diversification with tunable selective pressures has enabled investigators to tailor biological macromolecules for electronic and photonic device applications [2-5].
