Science Daily·3 min read·hard
Twisted laser light can tell mirror-image molecules apart
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Scientists have engineered a 'twisted' laser light that can distinguish between mirror-image molecules, known as enantiomers. This technique uses the light's structure to interact differently with the handedness of specific molecules.
Many molecules come in two forms that are mirror images of one another, much like left and right hands. Although these molecular twins can appear nearly identical, they may behave in dramatically different ways, particularly in living systems and medicines. Telling these enantiomers (also called chiral molecules) apart has remained a major scientific and technological challenge.
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