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Related Concept Videos

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

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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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Stereoisomerism02:52

Stereoisomerism

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Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
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Prochirality02:05

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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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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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Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers02:25

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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...
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Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Demonstration of Spin-Multiplexed and Direction-Multiplexed All-Dielectric Visible Metaholograms
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Optical Activity Modulation in Chiral Metasurfaces via Structured Light.

Paula L Lalaguna1, Shun Hashiyada2, Nikolaj Gadegaard3

  • 1School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.

Nano Letters
|August 5, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists developed a new all-optical method to control optical activity in chiral metasurfaces using structured light. This noninvasive technique allows real-time, reversible tuning of chiroptical properties for advanced nanophotonic applications.

Keywords:
chiral metamaterialschiralityoptical activityorbital angular momentumvortex beams

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Area of Science:

  • Nanophotonics
  • Chiroptics
  • Metasurface Optics

Background:

  • Chiral metasurfaces exhibit unique optical properties crucial for advanced photonic devices.
  • Conventional methods for tuning optical activity often involve slow, invasive, or irreversible processes.
  • Developing real-time, noninvasive methods for optical modulation remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate a real-time, all-optical method for modulating optical activity in chiral metasurfaces.
  • To achieve dynamic control of chiroptical properties without altering metasurface geometry.
  • To overcome limitations of conventional methods in terms of response time and energy efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing structured light, specifically tightly focused Laguerre-Gaussian beams with spin and orbital angular momentum.
  • Employing selective excitation of optically dark multipolar modes within the chiral metasurface.
  • Leveraging the field gradients of structured light to access otherwise inactive optical modes.

Main Results:

  • Achieved real-time, all-optical modulation of optical activity in chiral metasurfaces.
  • Demonstrated dynamic control of dichroism through selective excitation of multipolar modes.
  • Showcased a noninvasive and reversible tuning method, overcoming conventional limitations.

Conclusions:

  • The developed technique enables high-speed, contactless tuning of chiroptical properties.
  • This method opens new possibilities for adaptive nanophotonic systems.
  • Potential applications include quantum sensors, polarization controllers, and quantum encryption.