Quantum transport in the presence of a chiral molecular potential

Abstract

We investigate quantum transport in a two-dimensional electron system coupled to a chiral molecular potential, demonstrating how molecular chirality and orientation affect charge and spin transport properties. We propose a minimal model for realizing true chiral symmetry breaking on a magnetized surface, with a crucial role played by the tilt angle of the molecular dipole with respect to the surface. For non-zero tilting, we show that the Hall response exhibits clear signatures of chirality-induced effects, both in charge and spin-resolved observables. Concerning the former, tilted enantiomers produce asymmetric Hall conductances and, even more remarkably, the persistence of this feature in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) signals how the enantiospecific charge response results from electron scattering off the molecular potential. Concerning spin-resolved observables where SOC plays a relevant role, we reveal that chiral symmetry breaking is crucial in enabling spin-flipping processes.