Abstract
We report on a numerical study of optical chirality. Intertwined gold helices illuminated with plane waves concentrate right and left circularly polarized electromagnetic field energy to sub-wavelength regions. These spots of enhanced chirality can be smoothly shifted in position and magnitude by varying illumination parameters, allowing for the control of light-matter interactions on a nanometer scale.
Highlights
We report on a numerical study of optical chirality
Helical metamaterials strongly impact the optical response of incident circularly (CPL) and linearly polarized light
They serve as efficient circular polarizers [1] and are candidates for chiral near-field sources [2]
Summary
Helical metamaterials strongly impact the optical response of incident circularly (CPL) and linearly polarized light. They serve as efficient circular polarizers [1] and are candidates for chiral near-field sources [2]. Numerical and theoretical studies focus on the far-field response of helical metamaterials. Near-field interaction of light and chiral matter is expected to be enhanced in chiral near-fields. In the weak-coupling regime, the interplay of electromagnetic fields and chiral molecules, which are not superimposable with their mirror image, is directly proportional to this near-field measure [8]. We use the concept of circularly polarized energy (CPE) which follows from the relation of optical chirality and electromagnetic field energy for lossless isotropic media [9]. Spatial control on a range of 1 μm is achieved while maintaining stable near-field intensities
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