title: Chiral electromagnetic fields generated by arrays of nanoslits.
abstract: Using a modal matching theory, we demonstrate the generation of short-range, chiral electromagnetic fields via the excitation of arrays of staggered nanoslits that are chiral in two dimensions. The electromagnetic near fields, which exhibit a chiral density greater than that of circularly polarized light, can enhance the chiroptical interactions in the vicinity of the nanoslits. We discuss the features of nanostructure symmetry required to obtain the chiral fields and explicitly show how these structures can give rise to detection and characterization of materials with chiral symmetry.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK. e.hendry@ex.ac.uk
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Mikhaylovskiy
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadodwala
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Davis