Nonlinear Optics of Chiral Media

Abstract

Chiral media interact differently with left- and right-hand circularly-polarized light. In linear optics this gives rise to optical activity effects like circular dichroism, optical rotation and optical rotatory dispersion. Optical activity effects also occur in nonlinear optics. For example, second-harmonic generation from chiral surfaces is different for left- and right-hand circularly-polarized fundamental excitation.[1,2]