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arXiv · 1711.01552

Selective Orientation of Chiral Molecules by Laser Fields with Twisted Polarization

I. Tutunnikov·E. Gershnabel·S. Gold·I. Sh. Averbukh
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Abstract

We explore a pure optical method for enantioselective orientation of chiral molecules by means of laser fields with twisted polarization. Several field implementations are considered, including a pair of delayed cross-polarized laser pulses, an optical centrifuge, and polarization shaped pulses. The underlying classical orientation mechanism common for all these fields is discussed, and its operation is demonstrated for a range of chiral molecules of various complexity: hydrogen thioperoxide (${\rm HSOH}$), propylene oxide (${\rm CH_{3}CHCH_{2}O}$) and ethyl oxirane (${\rm CH_{3}CH_{2}CHCH_{2}O}$). The presented results demonstrate generality, versatility and robustness of this optical method for manipulating molecular enantiomers in the gas phase.

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I. Tutunnikov, E. Gershnabel, S. Gold, I. Sh. Averbukh. 2017-11-05. Selective Orientation of Chiral Molecules by Laser Fields with Twisted Polarization. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b03416

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