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arXiv · 2503.06782

Handedness selection and hysteresis of chiral orders in crystals

Mauro Fava·Aldo H. Romero·Eric Bousquet
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Abstract

A phase transition can drive the spontaneous emergence of chiral orders in crystals below a critical temperature. However, selecting either a right- or a left-handed phase with the aid of electromagnetic fields is challenging, particularly when intrinsic polar and axial moments are lacking. In this work we show that \textit{purely} chiral phases with opposite handedness, when both deriving from one degenerate instability, are linked by accessible transition states. While these states compete with the chirality under an electromagnetic field, a circularly polarized source can select the handedness of the system. This selection is mediated by a chiral monopole and may further result in a hysteresis process of the gyrotropic properties, namely the optical activity, below the critical temperature. We suggest several materials, among which K$_3$NiO$_2$, as candidates for possible experimental observation.

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Mauro Fava, Aldo H. Romero, Eric Bousquet. 2025-03-09. Handedness selection and hysteresis of chiral orders in crystals. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06782

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