Role of Geometric Shape in Chiral Optics

The distinction of chiral and mirror symmetric objects is straightforward from a geometrical point of view. Since the biological as well as the optical activity of molecules strongly depend on their handedness, chirality has recently attracted high interest in the field of nano-optics. Various aspec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Philipp Gutsche, Xavier Garcia-Santiago, Philipp-Immanuel Schneider, Kevin M. McPeak, Manuel Nieto-Vesperinas, Sven Burger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-01-01
Series:Symmetry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/1/158
Description
Summary:The distinction of chiral and mirror symmetric objects is straightforward from a geometrical point of view. Since the biological as well as the optical activity of molecules strongly depend on their handedness, chirality has recently attracted high interest in the field of nano-optics. Various aspects of associated phenomena including the influences of internal and external degrees of freedom on the optical response have been discussed. Here, we propose a constructive method to evaluate the possibility of observing any chiral response from an optical scatterer. Based on solely the <i>T</i>-matrix of one enantiomer, planes of minimal chiral response are located and compared to geometric mirror planes. This provides insights into the relation of geometric and optical properties and enables identifying the potential of chiral scatterers for nano-optical experiments.
ISSN:2073-8994