Chiral molecules: a superselection rule induced by the radiation field

Anton Amann

Arthur S. Wightman, N. Glance

Joachim Kupsch

Benjamin A. Stickler, M. Diekmann, Robert Berger +1 more

Molecular matter-wave interferometry enables novel strategies for manipulating the internal mechanical motion of complex molecules.Here, we show how chiral molecules can be prepared in a quantum superposition of two enantiomers by far-field matter-wave diffraction and how the resulting tunneling dynamics can be observed.We determine the impact of rovibrational phase averaging and propose a setup for sensing enantiomer-dependent forces, parity-violating weak interactions, and environment-induced superselection of handedness, as suggested to resolve Hund's paradox.Using ab initio tunneling calculations, we identify [4]-helicene derivatives as promising candidates to implement the proposal with state-of-the-art techniques.This work opens the door for quantum sensing with chiral molecules.

B.R Fischer, Peter Mittelstaedt

Giovanni Jona-Lasinio, Carlo Presilla A, Cristina Toninelli

We propose a model to describe a gas of pyramidal molecules interacting via dipole-dipole interactions. A cooperative effect induced by the interaction modifies the tunneling properties between the classical equilibrium configurations of the single molecule. The model suggests that, for sufficiently high gas density, the molecules become localized in these classical configurations. On this basis it is possible to explain the shift and the disappearance of the inversion line observed upon increase of the pressure in a gas of ammonia or deuterated ammonia. The same mechanism also accounts for the presence of stable optical activity of certain pyramidal molecules. We discuss the concept of environment induced superselection rule which has been invoked in connection with this problem.