Chirality-driven topological electronic structure of DNA-like materials

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Quantum chemistry
• Molecular electronics

Background:

• Chiral molecules' geometric topology is well-studied.
• Chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) in DNA is experimentally observed but poorly understood.
• The link between molecular chirality and electronic spin polarization is elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the topological origin of chiral-induced spin selectivity.
• To investigate the role of orbital texture in spin polarization.
• To explore the potential of the orbital polarization effect (OPE) in both chiral and achiral materials.

Main Methods:

• Band structure analysis to identify orbital texture.
• Theoretical modeling of orbital polarization effect (OPE).
• Investigation of spin-orbit interaction in metal contacts.

Main Results:

• Discovery of a chiral-induced orbital texture in the electronic band structure.
• Demonstration that this texture enables orbital polarization.
• Explanation of CISS through orbital polarization and spin-orbit interaction.
• Prediction of OPE in achiral, inversion-breaking materials.

Conclusions:

• Orbital texture is a key topological feature linking molecular chirality to spin polarization.
• The orbital polarization effect (OPE) provides a new mechanism for spin selectivity.
• OPE has potential applications beyond CISS, including in achiral systems.