Enantio-detection via cavity-assisted three-photon processes

Opt Express. 2021 Oct 25;29(22):36132-36144. doi: 10.1364/OE.436211.

Abstract

We propose a method for enantio-detection of chiral molecules based on a cavity-molecule system, where the left- and right-handed molecules are coupled with a cavity and two classical light fields to form cyclic three-level models. Via the cavity-assisted three-photon processes based on the cyclic three-level model, photons are generated continuously in the cavity even in the absence of external driving to the cavity. However, the photonic fields generated from the three-photon processes of left- and right-handed molecules differ with the phase difference π according to the inherent properties of electric-dipole transition moments of enantiomers. This provides a potential way to detect the enantiomeric excess of chiral mixture by monitoring the output field of the cavity.