Light with enhanced optical chirality

Tang and Cohen [Phys. Rev. Lett.104, 163901 (2010)] recently demonstrated a scheme to enhance the chiral response of molecules, which relies on the use of circularly polarized light in a standing wave configuration. Here we show a new type of light that possesses orbital angular momentum and enhanced chiral response. In the locations where the beams show enhanced optical chirality, only the longitudinal components of the electric and magnetic fields survive, which has unexpectedly shown what we believe is a new way to yield an enhanced optical chiral response.