Chirality

Chirality Latest News

Recently, Researchers discovered a chiral quantum state in topological Kagome lattice material (KV₃Sb₅), a material previously believed to be non-chiral, marking a landmark moment in condensed matter physics.

What is Chirality?

• Chirality refers to a property of an object that is not superimposable on its mirror image. It is also known as “handedness”.
• It is ubiquitous, found in amino acids, DNA’s double helix, and spiral patterns in biological organisms.
• Left-handed (L) and right-handed (D) forms are common in molecules and are essential in biochemistry and quantum physics.

What is KV₃Sb₅ and Kagome Lattice?

• KV₃Sb₅ is a bulk quantum material with a Kagome lattice structure, composed of corner-sharing triangles.
• The Kagome pattern, originally from Japanese basket-weaving, is a platform to explore exotic quantum phenomena.

Scientific Method Used

• A newly developed tool, the Scanning Photocurrent Microscope (SPCM), was used to detect nonlinear electromagnetic responses in the material.
• This is distinct from STM (Scanning Tunnelling Microscope), which provides atomic-scale images.
• The SPCM detected handedness in photocurrent, confirming the presence of circular photogalvanic effect (CPGE), a signature of chirality.

Key Findings

• Spontaneous symmetry breaking was observed in the form of a charge density wave (CDW) in KV₃Sb₅.
• When cooled to 4 Kelvin, the material displayed differential response to right- and left-handed circularly polarised light, proving broken inversion and mirror symmetry.
• This is the first confirmation of an intrinsic chiral charge order in a bulk topological quantum material.

Chirality FAQs

Q1. What is Chirality in chemistry?
Ans. Chirality refers to a property where a molecule is not superimposable on its mirror image, often due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom.

Q2. What are enantiomers?
Ans. Enantiomers are two non-superimposable mirror-image forms of a chiral molecule.

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Q3. Can chirality exist in inorganic compounds?
Ans. Yes, chirality can also exist in inorganic and organometallic compounds, particularly in coordination chemistry.

Source: PHY