Since their invention in 1986 by Arthur Ashkin and colleagues, optical tweezers have
become an essential tool in several fields of physics, spectroscopy, biology …

In this short review, we provide an update of recent developments in Kramers' theory of
reaction rates. After a brief introduction stressing the importance of this theory initially …

When described by a low-dimensional reaction coordinate, the folding rates of most proteins
are determined by a subtle interplay between free-energy barriers, which separate folded …

Thermally activated energy-barrier crossing is ubiquitous in physical, chemical, and
biological processes. Most barrier-crossing attempts have insufficient energy to overcome …

Rare transitions between long-lived metastable states underlie a great variety of physical,
chemical and biological processes. Our quantitative understanding of reactive mechanisms …

Single-molecule experiments have now achieved a time resolution allowing observation of
transition paths, the brief trajectory segments where the molecule undergoing an unfolding …

Stochastic network dynamics are typically assumed to be memoryless. Involving prolonged
dwells interrupted by instantaneous transitions between nodes, such Markov networks stand …

Single-molecule and single-particle tracking experiments are typically unable to resolve fine
details of thermal motion at short timescales where trajectories are continuous. We show …

Thermally activated transitions are ubiquitous in nature, occurring in complex environments
which are typically conceived as ideal viscous fluids. We report the first direct observations …

Transition paths are rare events occurring when a system, thanks to the effect of fluctuations,
crosses successfully from one stable state to another by surmounting an energy barrier …