Effective discrimination of chiral molecules in a cavity

Robust discriminator of chiral molecules via a topological invariant

We propose a scheme for chirality discrimination via a topological invariant. The physical model is based on a three-level subspace of a molecule. By modulating the components of the control field with proper frequencies, two different two-level effective Hamiltonians are derived for the left-handed and the right-handed molecules. We parameterize the effective Hamiltonians with two angles and demonstrate that a topological quantum phase transition can be induced by tuning the effective Rabi frequency if the molecule is right-handed. This phenomenon provides a method to discriminate the chirality of the molecule by measuring a topological invariant, i.e., the Chern number, of the parametric manifold. Since the Chern number is robust against perturbations to the system, the scheme is insensitive to the systematic errors of the control fields, the deviations of the modulation frequencies, and decoherence of the molecule. Therefore, the scheme may provide useful perspectives to construct a robust discriminator of chiral molecules.

Machine-Learning Enhanced Enantioselective Single-Shot-Single-Molecule ac Stark Spectroscopy

Enantiodiscrimination with single-molecule and single-shot resolution is fundamental for the understanding of the fate and behavior of two enantiomers in chemical reactions, biological activity, and the function of drugs. However, molecular decoherence gives rise to spectral broadening and random errors, offering major problems for most chiroptical methods in arriving at single-shot-single-molecule resolution. Here, we introduce a machine-learning strategy to solve these problems. Specifically, we focus on the task of single-shot measurement of single-molecule chirality based on enantioselective ac Stark spectroscopy. We find that, in the large-decoherence region, where the ac Stark spectroscopy without machine learning fails to distinguish molecular chirality, in contrast, the machine-learning-assisted strategy still holds a high correct rate of up to about 90%. Beyond this overwhelming superiority, the machine-learning strategy also has considerable robustness against variation of the decoherence rates between the training and testing sets.

Efficient and robust chiral discrimination by invariant-based inverse engineering

We propose an accurate and convenient method to achieve 100% discrimination of chiral molecules with Lewis-Riesenfeld invariance. By reversely designing the pulse scheme of handed resolution, we obtain the parameters of the three-level Hamiltonians to achieve this goal. For the same initial state, we can completely transfer its population to one energy level for left-handed molecules, while transferring it to another energy level for right-handed molecules. Moreover, this method can be further optimized when errors exist, and it shows that the optimal method is more robust against these errors than the counterdiabatic and original invariant-based shortcut schemes. This provides an effective, accurate, and robust method to distinguish the handedness of molecules.

Realization of Quantum Swap Gate and Generation of Entangled Coherent States

The cross fusion of quantum mechanics and information science forms quantum information science. Quantum logic gates and quantum entanglement are very important building blocks in quantum information processing. In this paper, we propose one-step schemes for realizing quantum swap gates and generating two-mode entangled coherent states via circuit QED. In our scheme, due to the adiabatic elimination of the excited state of the qutrit under the condition of large detuning, the decoherence of the spontaneous emission of the qutrit can be ignored. The fidelity of the quantum swap gate remains at a very high level. In addition, we also explore the nonclassical properties of two-mode entangled coherent states prepared in our scheme by addressing the second-order correlation function and intermodal squeezing. In particular, two classes of entangled coherent states demonstrate distinct entanglement and nonclassical behavior.

Enantiodiscrimination of chiral molecules via quantum correlation function

We propose a method to realize enantiodiscrimination of chiral molecules based on quantum correlation function in a driven cavity-molecule system, where the chiral molecule is coupled with a quantized cavity field and two classical light fields to form a cyclic three-level model. According to the inherent properties of electric-dipole transition moments of chiral molecules, there is a π-phase difference in the overall phase of the cyclic three-level model for the left- and right-handed chiral molecules. Thus, the correlation function depends on this overall phase and is chirality-dependent. The analytical and numerical results indicate that the left- and right-handed chiral molecules can be discriminated by detecting quantum correlation function. Our work opens up a promising route to discriminate molecular chirality, which is an extremely important task in pharmacology and biochemistry.

Enantioselective Topological Frequency Conversion

Two molecules are enantiomers if they are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other. Electric dipole-allowed cyclic transitions |1⟩ → |2⟩ → |3⟩ → |1⟩ obey the symmetry relation OR=-OS, where OR,S = (μ₂₁^R,SE₂₁)(μ₁₃^R,SE₁₃)(μ₃₂^R,SE₃₂) and R and S label the two enantiomers. Herein, we generalize the concept of topological frequency conversion to an ensemble of enantiomers. We show that, within a rotating-frame, the pumping power between fields of frequency ω₁ and ω₂ is sensitive to enantiomeric excess, P2→1 = ℏ[ω₁ω₂C_L^R/(2π)](N_R - N_S), where N_i is the number of enantiomers i and C_L^R is an enantiomer-dependent Chern number. Connections with chiroptical microwave spectroscopy are made. Our work provides an underexplored and fertile connection between topological physics and molecular chirality.

Non-quantum chirality in a driven Brusselator

We report the discovery of non-quantum chirality in the a periodically driven Brusselator. In contrast to standard chirality from quantum contexts, this novel type of chirality is governed by rate equations, namely by purely classical equations of motion. The Brusselator chirality was found by computing high-resolution phase diagrams depicting the number of spikes, local maxima, observed in stable periodic oscillations of the Brusselator as a function of the frequency and amplitude of the external drive. We also discuss how to experimentally observe non-quantum chirality in generic oscillators governed by nonlinear sets of rate equations.

Enantio-detection via cavity-assisted three-photon processes

We propose a method for enantio-detection of chiral molecules based on a cavity-molecule system, where the left- and right-handed molecules are coupled with a cavity and two classical light fields to form cyclic three-level models. Via the cavity-assisted three-photon processes based on the cyclic three-level model, photons are generated continuously in the cavity even in the absence of external driving to the cavity. However, the photonic fields generated from the three-photon processes of left- and right-handed molecules differ with the phase difference π according to the inherent properties of electric-dipole transition moments of enantiomers. This provides a potential way to detect the enantiomeric excess of chiral mixture by monitoring the output field of the cavity.

Entanglement-Assisted Quantum Chiral Spectroscopy

The most important problem of spectroscopic chiral analysis is the enantioselective effects of the light-molecule interactions are inherently weak and severely reduced by the environment noises. Enormous efforts had been spent to overcome this problem by enhancing the symmetry break in the light-molecule interactions or reducing the environment noises. Here, we propose an alternative way to solve this problem by using frequency-entangled two-photon pairs as probe signals and detecting them in coincidence, i.e., using quantum chiral spectroscopy. For this purpose, we develop the theory of entanglement-assisted quantum chiral spectroscopy. Our results show that the quantum spectra of the left- and right-handed molecules are always distinguishable by suitably configuring the frequency-entangled two-photon pairs. In contrast, the classical spectra of the two enantiomers, where the broadband signal photon is frequency-uncorrelated with the idle one, become indistinguishable in the strong dissipation region. This offers our quantum chiral spectroscopy a great advantage over the classical chiral spectroscopy. Our work opens up an exciting area that exploring profound advantages of the quantum spectroscopy in chiral analysis.

Discrimination of enantiomers through quantum interference and quantum Zeno effect

Quantum optical methods have great potential for highly efficient discrimination of chiral molecules. We propose quantum interference-based schemes of enantio-discrimination under microwave regime among molecular rotational states. The quantum interference between field-driven one- and two-photon transitions of two higher states is designed to be constructive for one enantiomer but destructive for the other, since a certain transition dipole moment can be set to change sign with enantiomers. Therefore, two enantiomers can evolve into entirely different states from the same ground state. Through strengthening the constructive interference, the quantum Zeno effect is found in one enantiomer and then its excitation is suppressed, which also enables the enantio-discrimination. We simulate the schemes for differentiating between S and R enantiomers of 1, 2-propanediol (C₃H₈O₂) molecules. With the analysis of the phase sensitivity to microwave fields and the effect of energy relaxations, the highly efficient enantio-discrimination of the 1, 2-propanediol molecules may be achieved.