Abstract
Are there solutions to Maxwell's equations that show enhanced asymmetry in their interaction with chiral matter, larger than that shown by circularly polarized plane waves? We answer this question in three parts: first, we introduce a quantity which measures the local chirality of the electromagnetic field; second, we show that this electromagnetic chirality determines the degree of chiral asymmetry in the interaction of light with matter; third, we construct “superchiral” solutions to Maxwell’s equations with larger chiral asymmetry, in some regions of space, than is found in circularly polarized plane waves. We experimentally demonstrate the existence of superchiral light.
© 2010 Optical Society of America
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