title: Optical activity in the scattering of structured light.
abstract: We observe that optical activity in light scattering can be probed using types of illuminating light other than single plane (or quasi plane) waves and that this introduces new possibilities for the study of molecules and atoms. We demonstrate this explicitly for natural Rayleigh optical activity which, we suggest, could be exploited as a new form of spectroscopy for chiral molecules through the use of illuminating light comprised of two plane waves that are counter propagating.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK. r.cameron.2@research.gla.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barnett