On optical vortex interactions with chiral matter

We examine the possibility that optical vortices should offer a controllable specificity in their interactions with chiral matter. associated with orbital angular momentum transfer. By explicit analysis of the grounds for chiroptical behaviour, we establish that the helicity of optical vortices cannot engage through any parametric or non-parametric optical process with the chirality of a molecular system, other than through intrinsic photon spin. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.