Twisted Raman: Orbital Angular Momentum Control of Raman Optical Activity.
- 1School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NorwichNR4 7TJ, United Kingdom.
Abstract
Raman optical activity (ROA) conventionally detects differences in Raman scattering associated with opposite circular-polarization states σ, providing a sensitive probe of molecular chirality. Here we show that a different handedness of light can drive ROA: the wavefront handedness encoded in the topological charge l of a focused optical vortex. Instead of using photons carrying spin angular momentum σℏ, the response is controlled by photons carrying orbital angular momentum lℏ, with the sign of l defining the optical handedness. We develop a nonparaxial theory of ROA with Laguerre-Gaussian beams and show that the Maxwell-consistent focused field allows a linearly polarized vortex beam to produce a topological-charge-dependent ROA signal from an isotropic ensemble of independent, randomly oriented chiral molecules, as in a gas or dilute solution. The response contains both electric-dipole-magnetic-dipole and electric-dipole-electric-quadrupole interference terms, establishing optical orbital angular momentum as a control parameter for chiral Raman spectroscopy.
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BibTeX
@article{forbes2026twisted,
title = {{Twisted Raman: Orbital Angular Momentum Control of Raman Optical Activity.}},
author = {Kayn A Forbes},
journal = {The journal of physical chemistry letters},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.6c02215},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42915485},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Twisted Raman: Orbital Angular Momentum Control of Raman Optical Activity.
AU - Kayn A Forbes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - The journal of physical chemistry letters
DO - 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6c02215
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42915485
AB - Raman optical activity (ROA) conventionally detects differences in Raman scattering associated with opposite circular-polarization states σ, providing a sensitive probe of molecular chirality. Here we show that a different handedness of light can drive ROA: the wavefront handedness encoded in the topological charge l of a focused optical vortex. Instead of using photons carrying spin angular momentum σℏ, the response is controlled by photons carrying orbital angular momentum lℏ, with the sign of l defining the optical handedness. We develop a nonparaxial theory of ROA with Laguerre-Gaussian beams and show that the Maxwell-consistent focused field allows a linearly polarized vortex beam to produce a topological-charge-dependent ROA signal from an isotropic ensemble of independent, randomly oriented chiral molecules, as in a gas or dilute solution. The response contains both electric-dipole-magnetic-dipole and electric-dipole-electric-quadrupole interference terms, establishing optical orbital angular momentum as a control parameter for chiral Raman spectroscopy.
SN - 1948-7185
ER -