Chiral optical forces in a slot waveguide for separation of molecules in gas

Abstract: Chiral optical forces present an exciting avenue into the separation of enantiomers in an all-optical fashion. In this work, we explore via numerical simulations and analytical calculations the feasibility of the separation of chiral molecules by using guided light in a dielectric slot waveguide. Our results suggest that it is possible to separate [6]helicene enantiomers suspended in gas within several hours when applying optical powers of 100 mW.