title: Chiral cavity ring down polarimetry: Chirality and magnetometry measurements using signal reversals.
abstract: We present the theory and experimental details for chiral-cavity-ring-down polarimetry and magnetometry, based on ring cavities supporting counterpropagating laser beams. The optical-rotation symmetry is broken by the presence of both chiral and Faraday birefringence, giving rise to signal reversals which allow rapid background subtractions. We present the measurement of the specific rotation at 800 nm of vapors of α-pinene, 2-butanol, and α-phellandrene, the measurement of optical rotation of sucrose solutions in a flow cell, the measurement of the Verdet constant of fused silica, and measurements and theoretical treatment of evanescent-wave optical rotation at a prism surface. Therefore, these signal-enhancing and signal-reversing methods open the way for ultrasensitive polarimetry measurements in gases, liquids and solids, and at surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Lykourgos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bougas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sofikitis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Katsoprinakis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexandros K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Spiliotis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tzallas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loppinet
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: T Peter
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Rakitzis