A new type of light with enhanced optical chirality

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel type of light carrying orbital angular momentum that exhibits enhanced optical chirality, with unique field component characteristics, potentially advancing chiral molecule detection and manipulation.

Contribution

It presents a new form of light with orbital angular momentum that enhances optical chirality through a different mechanism involving longitudinal field components.

Findings

Enhanced optical chirality in specific beam locations

Longitudinal electric and magnetic field components dominate

Potential applications in chiral molecule analysis

Abstract

Recently, Tang and Cohen (Science 332, 333, 2011) have demonstrated a scheme to enhance the chiral response of molecules, which relies on the use of circularly polarized light in a standing wave configuration. Here we show a new type of light which possesses orbital angular momentum and enhanced chiral response. Unexpectedly, in the locations where the beams show enhanced optical chirality, only the longitudinal components of the electric and magnetic fields survive, showing a new way to yield optical chirality different from the usual.