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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Polarization-Sensitive Two-Photon Microscopy for a Label-Free Amyloid Structural Characterization
Published on: September 8, 2023
Polarized photon-pairs heterodyne polarimetry for ultrasensitive optical activity detection of a chiral medium
Chien Chou1, Kun-Huei Chiang, Kuan-Yung Liao
1Institute of Radiological Sciences and Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (112). cchou@ym.edu.tw
Abstract:
A polarized photon-pairs heterodyne polarimetry is proposed in order to measure in an ultrasensitive manner the circular birefringence of a chiral medium via optical rotation detection. A balanced detector is integrated into this polarimeter. Thus, shot-noise-limited detection by this polarimeter can be achieved. Experimentally, the detection sensitivity for the circular birefringence of a glucose-water solution up to partial differential |n(r) - n(l)| = 2 x 10(-11) at 10 mg/dL is verified. To our knowledge, this is the highest sensitivity ever measured of a chiral liquid solution based on single traveling sample cell geometry. Finally, when compared to a fiber loop ring-resonator in the frequency domain for a chiral liquid, this polarimeter shows an order of 10(4) enhancement on the sensitivity of natural optical activity measurement.
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