Light-induced chirality

We associate chirality with left- or righthandedness. Terahertz light can induce chirality in a non-chiral crystal on an ultrafast timescale, our research showed. Excitation of specific vibrations in the crystal lattice of boron phosphate resulted in a short-lived chiral state, with its handedness controlled by rotating the light polarization. This effect, which lasts for several picoseconds, could enable ultrafast chiral switching in materials, with potential applications in memory storage and optoelectronics. In addition, the findings offer new insights into nonequilibrium phenomena in complex materials.