Correlation between quadratic magnetic field induced circular birefringence and the natural optical activity of chiral media

Abstract

There is a correlation between the natural and the quadratic magnetic field induced circular birefringence of chiral molecules. The circular birefringence created by a chiral molecule is a superposition of the natural and B, B ², B ³, magnetic field induced rotations of the optical polarization plane of the light beam passing through the chiral medium. The B and B ³ dependent rotations are the linear and nonlinear Faraday effects while, as experimentally observed, the B ² dependent rotation is clockwise for dextrorotatory enantiomers (+) and counterclockwise for laevorotatory enantiomers (-). The natural and B, B ², B ³ induced rotations given by a single chiral molecule analysed neat and in water solution are discussed.