Asymmetry in Photoelectron Emission from Chiral Molecules Induced by Circularly Polarized Light
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- 12 February 2001
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 86 (7) , 1187-1190
Abstract
In photoionization of free, unoriented chiral molecules with circularly polarized radiation, a significant circular dichroism, i.e., an asymmetry in the forward-backward electron emission, has been observed in the photoelectron angular distribution. This leads also to an asymmetry in the momentum transfer to the photoions. The spectra for the left- and right-handed enantiomers of bromocamphor exhibit asymmetries up to several percent which vary as a function of orbital binding energy. This enantioselective effect can similarly occur for biomolecules with handedness, like amino acids, and may thus be a contributing factor related to the origin of the terrestrial biomolecular homochirality.Keywords
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