Reading chirality in electricity: circularly polarized light-programmed hot-electron generation and applications

Abstract

Chirality is fundamental to nature, but intrinsic molecular signals are often weak. This review details a paradigm shift in plasmonic chiroptics, moving from far-field “observation” toward “harnessing” chirality via energetic hot carriers to drive functional outputs. We propose a unified “conversion chain” framework organized into four critical stages: optical, carrier, interfacial, and quantum. A central focus is the decoupling of optical circular dichroism from hot-carrier chirality, noting that functional asymmetry can be amplified or lost during generation and extraction. We summarize cutting-edge applications, including polarization-sensitive photodetection and enantiospecific photocatalysis. Finally, we identify key bottlenecks and outline strategies for transforming proof-of-concept demonstrations into robust, next-generation chiroptoelectronic platforms.