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Related Concept Videos

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

16.1K
It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...
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Chirality02:25

Chirality

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Chirality is a term that describes the lack of mirror symmetry in an object. In other words, chiral objects cannot be superposed on their mirror images. For example, our feet are chiral, as the mirror image of the left foot, the right foot, cannot be superposed on the left foot.
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
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Chirality in Nature02:30

Chirality in Nature

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Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
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Potential Due to a Polarized Object01:29

Potential Due to a Polarized Object

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A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
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Coriolis Force01:23

Coriolis Force

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An accelerating particle experiences a force equal to the mass multiplied by the acceleration in an inertial frame of reference. Consider a particle in a non-inertial frame of reference, such as a sliding ball on a rotating table. The acceleration of the ball in this rotating reference frame is different than in the intertial frame, which modifies its equation of motion. The fictitious forces acting additionally on a rotating frame of reference alter Newton's Second Law expression.
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Prochirality02:05

Prochirality

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The concept of prochirality leads to the nomenclature of the individual faces of a molecule and plays a crucial role in the enantioselective reaction. It is a concept where two or more achiral molecules react to produce chiral products. A typical process is the reaction of an achiral ketone to generate a chiral alcohol. Here, the achiral reactant reacts with an achiral reducing agent, sodium borohydride, to generate an equimolar mixture of the chiral enantiomers of the product. For example, an...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Fabrication Procedures and Birefringence Measurements for Designing Magnetically Responsive Lanthanide Ion Chelating Phospholipid Assemblies
09:38

Fabrication Procedures and Birefringence Measurements for Designing Magnetically Responsive Lanthanide Ion Chelating Phospholipid Assemblies

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Lateral optical force on chiral particles near a surface.

S B Wang1, C T Chan1

  • 1Department of Physics and Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.

Nature Communications
|March 7, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Researchers discovered that light can push chiral particles sideways, perpendicular to the light

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Optics
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Light exerts radiation pressure, enabling optical manipulation of particles.
  • Typically, light propels particles forward in the direction of photon momentum.
  • Chiral particles possess unique handedness, influencing their interaction with light.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the possibility of inducing anomalous lateral forces on chiral particles using light.
  • To explore the role of substrate reflection in light-particle interactions.
  • To demonstrate a novel method for sideways optical manipulation of chiral matter.

Main Methods:

  • Full-wave simulations were employed to model light-particle interactions.
  • Analytical theory was developed to explain the observed forces.

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Fabrication and Operation of a Nano-Optical Conveyor Belt
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Fabrication and Operation of a Nano-Optical Conveyor Belt

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Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method

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Last Updated: May 2, 2026

Fabrication Procedures and Birefringence Measurements for Designing Magnetically Responsive Lanthanide Ion Chelating Phospholipid Assemblies
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  • Consideration of chiral particles placed above a symmetric substrate.

    • Main Results:

    • An anomalous lateral optical force, perpendicular to photon momentum, was demonstrated.
    • This force arises from the coupling between particle chirality and substrate-reflected light.
    • Chiral particles with opposite handedness are pushed in opposite lateral directions.

    Conclusions:

    • Light can induce sideways forces on chiral particles, offering new manipulation possibilities.
    • The interaction depends on the particle's chirality and the substrate's reflective properties.
    • This finding opens avenues for precise control of chiral nanomaterials.