The measurement of chiral optical rotation and circular dichroism is the most widely used method for chirality sensing, and is of fundamental importance to many fields. However, these chiral signals are typically very weak, and their measurement is limited by larger time-dependent backgrounds, and by imperfect and slow subtraction procedures. Using a bow-tie cavity with an intracavity Faraday Effect, we demonstrate three important improvements: (a) the enhancement of the chiral signals by the number of the cavity passes (typically &gt;100); (b) the suppression of birefringent backgrounds; and (c) the ability to reverse the sign of the chiral signals rapidly, allowing the isolation of the chiral signals from backgrounds. We have demonstrated the measurement of chiral optical rotation in high-noise environments, such as for open-air gas samples, and for chiral liquids in the evanescent wave produced by total internal reflection at a prism surface [1]. We discuss recent progress in sensitivity improvement, and new fields of application of chiral sensing. We also describe the recent production of ultrahigh pulsed densities of spin-polarized H (SPH) and D (SPD) atoms reaching 1020 cm-3 (which is about 8 orders of magnitude higher than continuous production methods) from the photodissociation of hydrogen halides, and the detection through magnetization quantum beats using a pickup coil. This new regime of ultrahigh SPH/SPD density opens the possibility for three novel applications: (a) laser-driven ion acceleration of spin-polarized electrons or protons, (b) the preparation of nuclear-spin-polarized molecules, and (c) the demonstration of spin-polarized D-T or D-3He laser fusion at large laser facilities such as NIF, for which a reactivity enhancement of 50% is expected [2].

From chiral cavity polarimetry, to ultrahigh-density spin-polarized hydrogen

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.