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Updated: May 27, 2025

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality
Published on: March 11, 2022
Single-molecule junctions map the interplay between electrons and chirality
Anil-Kumar Singh1, Kévin Martin2, Maurizio Mastropasqua Talamo2
1Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Abstract:
The interplay of electrons with a chiral medium has a diverse impact across science and technology, influencing drug separation, chemical reactions, and electronic transport1-30. In particular, electron-chirality interactions can significantly affect charge and spin transport in chiral conductors, making them highly appealing for spintronics. However, an atomistic mapping of different electron-chirality interactions remains elusive. Here, we find that helicene-based single-molecule junctions behave as a combined magnetic-diode and spin-valve device. This dual-functionality enables the identification of an atomic-scale coexistence of different electron-chirality interactions: the magnetic-diode behavior is attributed to an interaction between electron's angular momentum in a chiral medium and magnetic fields, whereas the spin-valve functionality is ascribed to an interaction between the electron's spin and a chiral medium. This work uncovers the coexistence of electron-chirality interactions at the atomic-scale, identifies their distinct properties, and demonstrates how integrating their functionalities can broaden of the available methods for spintronics.
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