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Chirality

Chirality

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...

Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers

Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers

Molecules that possess multiple chiral centers can afford a large number of stereoisomers. For instance, while some molecules like 2-butanol have one chiral center, defined as a tetrahedral carbon atom with four different substituents attached, several molecules like butane-2,3-diol have multiple chiral centers. A simple formula to predict the number of stereoisomers possible for a molecule with n chiral centers is 2n. However, there can be a lower number where some of the stereoisomers are...

Prochirality

Prochirality

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...

Chirality in Nature

Chirality in Nature

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.

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

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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Related Experiment Video

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Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals

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Published on: August 15, 2018

Tunable multifunctional polarization conversion in bilayer chiral metamaterials.

Xiaona Yan, Ran Wang, Weimeng Luan

|December 1, 2023

Summary

A novel chiral metamaterial offers tunable polarization conversion for terahertz waves, enabling versatile applications in imaging and communications.

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Area of Science:

Metamaterials
Terahertz (THz) optics
Photonics

Background:

Polarization conversion is crucial for terahertz (THz) wave manipulation.
Existing methods often lack tunability or multifunctionality.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose and demonstrate a chiral metamaterial for tunable, dual-directional, and multifunctional polarization conversion in the THz range.
To explore its potential applications in THz imaging and communications.

Main Methods:

Design and simulation of a metamaterial structure using bilayer twisted split-ring resonators.
Analysis of polarization conversion using Stokes parameters, ellipticity, and polarization rotation angle.
Investigation of physical mechanisms via circular polarization transmission coefficients and surface current distribution.

Main Results:

The proposed metamaterial achieves tunable polarization conversion (linear-to-linear, linear-to-circular).
Dual-directional and multifunctional polarization control is demonstrated.
The device's performance is validated through detailed simulations and analysis of physical mechanisms.

Conclusions:

The developed chiral metamaterial offers a promising platform for advanced THz wave control.
Potential applications in THz imaging, sensing, and high-speed communications are highlighted.