title: Chiral control of electron transmission through molecules.
abstract: Electron transmission through chiral molecules induced by circularly polarized light can be very different for mirror-image structures, a peculiar fact given that the electronic energy spectra of the systems are identical. We propose that this asymmetry--as large as 10% for resonant transport--arises from different dynamical responses of the mirrored structures to coherent excitation. This behavior is described in the context of a general novel phenomenon of current transfer (transfer of charge with its momentum information) and accounts for the observed asymmetry and its dependence on structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Spiros S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Skourtis
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Beratan
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naaman
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nitzan
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Waldeck
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004583:Electrons; D008956:Models, Chemical; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D004247:DNA