Implications of parity conservation for superpositions of chiral states
- 8 September 1998
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in The Journal of Chemical Physics
- Vol. 109 (10) , 3713-3720
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.476972
Abstract
In this paper, we consider how parity conservation limits the type of superpositions of chiral states that can be created and detected. We also show how spontaneous emission can cause the left and right hands of the superposition to become coupled to different states of the radiation field. This coupling, aside from being an interesting effect in its own right, helps to enforce the restrictions that parity conservation places upon superpositions of chiral states. Finally, we outline an analogy that exists between aspects of this work and the Einstein, Podolsky, Rosen paradox.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Superpositions of Handed Wave FunctionsScience, 1995
- Optical activity in a weak electric fieldChemical Physics Letters, 1994
- Electric-field optical activity, Rayleigh optical activity and the measurement of superpositions of chiral amplitudesFaraday Discussions, 1994
- Coherence, transients, and interference in photodissociation with ultrashort pulsesJournal of the Optical Society of America B, 1990
- Time resolved dynamics of isolated molecular systems studied with phase-locked femtosecond pulse pairsThe Journal of Chemical Physics, 1990
- Tunneling of molecules in low-temperature media: an elementary descriptionThe Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1989
- True and false chirality and parity violationChemical Physics Letters, 1986
- Quantum beats in optical activity and weak interactionsPhysics Letters B, 1978
- Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Blocking of Metastable StatesPhysical Review Letters, 1978
- Discussion of Probability Relations between Separated SystemsMathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 1935