Infrared three-wave mixing for the detection of enantiomeric excess and precision spectroscopy of chiral molecules (B08*)

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 328961117

This project is about the determination of absolute configuration, enantiomeric separation, and purification of small chiral molecules using the purely light-driven method of the three-wave mixing scheme applied at infrared frequencies. The infrared region allows us to address transitions non-feasible at microwave regions, it operates at energy levels unaffected by interfering thermal excitation and is ideally suited to study rigid and transient chiral molecules systematically. In addition, precise spectroscopic measurements are performed on customized chiral molecules to finally resolve the small energy differences between the enantiomers and demonstrate the predicted effect of molecular parity violation.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1319: Extreme light for sensing and driving molecular chirality (ELCH)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Kassel
• Project Head: Dr. Guido Fuchs