Chirality induced spin selectivity: A classical spin-off

We demonstrate that angular momentum selectivity of particles traversing chiral environments is not limited to the quantum regime and can be realized in classical scenarios also. In our classical variant, the electron spin, which is central to the quantum chirality induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, is replaced by the self-rotation of a finite-volume body. The latter is coupled to the center of mass orbital motion of the body through a helical tube via wall friction that acts as a dissipative spin-orbit coupling term. As a specific example, we study C60 molecules that are initially spinning in opposite senses and investigate the effect of various external control parameters on their spatial separation when driven through a rigid helical channel. We highlight resemblances and inherent differences between the quantum CISS effect and its classical variant and discuss the potential of the latter to formulate a new paradigm for enantio-separation.