dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaQuantum Dynamics of Enantiomers in Chiral Optical Cavities
| Authors | Yang-Cheng Ye, Panpan Zhang, Ajay Jha, Fulu Zheng, Hong-Guang Duan |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | 2601.05643vv1 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.05643 |
| License | http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/ |
Abstract
Chirality, the absence of mirror symmetry, is a fundamental molecular property with far-reaching consequences from chemistry to biology. Yet enantiosensitive optical responses are very weak. Here, we introduce a theoretical framework in which a chiral optical cavity under strong coupling directly lifts the degeneracy of opposite enantiomers at the electronic-dipole level. The cavity's parity-breaking field inside the cavity induces distinct site-energy shifts for left- versus right-handed molecules, producing robust enantioselective polariton states that overcome the weakness of traditional chiroptical effects. Using cavity quantum electrodynamics simulations, we show that strong light-matter coupling reshapes the polaritonic energy landscape and leads to enantiomer-specific coherence lifetimes and relaxation pathways. To reveal these dynamics, we propose ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) as a probe, capable of resolving polaritonic splittings on femtosecond timescales. Simulated 2DES spectra exhibit unambiguous enantioselective signatures of the cavity-induced asymmetry. These findings establish that chiral cavities provide a powerful platform for detecting and controlling molecular handedness beyond the limits of conventional optical methods.
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"abstract": "Chirality, the absence of mirror symmetry, is a fundamental molecular property with far-reaching consequences from chemistry to biology. Yet enantiosensitive optical responses are very weak. Here, we introduce a theoretical framework in which a chiral optical cavity under strong coupling directly lifts the degeneracy of opposite enantiomers at the electronic-dipole level. The cavity\u0027s parity-breaking field inside the cavity induces distinct site-energy shifts for left- versus right-handed molecules, producing robust enantioselective polariton states that overcome the weakness of traditional chiroptical effects. Using cavity quantum electrodynamics simulations, we show that strong light-matter coupling reshapes the polaritonic energy landscape and leads to enantiomer-specific coherence lifetimes and relaxation pathways. To reveal these dynamics, we propose ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) as a probe, capable of resolving polaritonic splittings on femtosecond timescales. Simulated 2DES spectra exhibit unambiguous enantioselective signatures of the cavity-induced asymmetry. These findings establish that chiral cavities provide a powerful platform for detecting and controlling molecular handedness beyond the limits of conventional optical methods.",
"arxiv_id": "2601.05643",
"authors": [
"Yang-Cheng Ye",
"Panpan Zhang",
"Ajay Jha",
"Fulu Zheng",
"Hong-Guang Duan"
],
"categories": [
"physics.optics"
],
"license": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
"title": "Quantum Dynamics of Enantiomers in Chiral Optical Cavities",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.05643",
"version": "v1"
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