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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Asymmetric photolysis with elliptically polarized light
1Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
Previous investigations have shown the efficacy of right-(RCPL) and left-(LCPL) circularly polarized light in promoting the asymmetric photolysis of racemic organic substrates and producing measurable enantiomeric excesses (e.e.s) when photolysis is incomplete. Synchrotron radiation, polychromatic and having out-of-plane components which are elliptically and ultimately circularly polarized, has been suggested as a universal source of RCPL and LCPL on a cosmic scale. The more prevalent right-(REPL) and left-(LEPL) elliptically polarized components have never been investigated for similar capabilities. The present study, using a 212.8 nm laser beam to mimic the synchtrotron radiation, explores the potential of REPL and LEPL in this context and finds a qualitative trend indicating that each induces asymmetric photolysis in the same sense as RCPL and LCPL, but to a lesser degree.
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