Lifetimes of the vibrational states of DNA molecules in functionalized complexes of semiconductor quantum dots

Results of studying nanocrystalline $nc$-Si/SiO$_2$ quantum dots (QDs) functionalized by short oligonucleotides show that complexes of isolated crystalline semiconductor QDs are unique objects for detecting the manifestation of new quantum confinement phenomena. It is established that narrow lines observed in high-resolution spectra of inelastic light scattering can be used for determining the characteristic time scale of vibrational excitations of separate nucleotide molecules and for studying structural-dynamic properties of fast oscillatory processes in biomacromolecules.