Inhomogeneous Enantiomeric Solution Concentration Measurement Harnessing Vectorial Structured Light
Xiaobo Hu, Caixia Liu, Yuchen Zhu, Rui‐Pin Chen, Bo Zhao, Fengmin Wu, Carmelo Rosales‐Guzmán
Abstract
Complex vector light fields, characterized by their nonuniform transverse polarization distribution, offer a versatile solution for various applications. This study presents an approach to measure spatially diverse concentrations in enantiomeric mixtures containing complex solutes utilizing complex vector light modes. As these beams interact with the enantiomeric solution, their varied polarization states induce optical rotation, directly affected by the varying concentrations within the complex enantiomeric solution. Leveraging the rich transverse polarization attributes of vector modes, additional information regarding chiral concentrations and enantiomeric type in a complex enantiomeric solution is extracted. Illustrated with an enantiomeric solution containing two layers of different enantiomers, the technique demonstrates applicability to even more complex media. Concentrations in each region of the enantiomeric solution are evaluated by reconstructing their transverse polarization distribution using Stokes polarimetry and analyzing the polarization rotation angle point-to-point across the entire transverse plane. This advanced technique is expected to find significant applications in diverse fields, including monitoring chiral compound synthesis and quantifying organic compound concentrations in the atmosphere, among others.