Fourfold Differential Photoelectron Circular Dichroism

Phys Rev Lett. 2021 Sep 3;127(10):103201. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.103201.

Abstract

We report on a joint experimental and theoretical study of photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD) in methyloxirane. By detecting O 1s photoelectrons in coincidence with fragment ions, we deduce the molecule's orientation and photoelectron emission direction in the laboratory frame. Thereby, we retrieve a fourfold differential PECD clearly beyond 50%. This strong chiral asymmetry is reproduced by ab initio electronic structure calculations. Providing such a pronounced contrast makes PECD of fixed-in-space chiral molecules an even more sensitive tool for chiral recognition in the gas phase.