Snapshot circular dichroism measurements

Two coherent waves carrying orthogonal polarizations do not interfere when they superpose, but an interference pattern is generated when the two waves share a common polarization. This well-known principle of coherence and polarization is exploited for the experimental demonstration of a novel method for performing circular dichroism measurements whereby the visibility of the interference fringes is proportional to the circular dichroism of the sample. Our proof-of-concept experiment is based upon an analog of Young’s double-slit experiment that continuously modulates the polarization of the probing beam in space, unlike the time modulation used in common circular dichroism measurement techniques. The method demonstrates an accurate and sensitive circular dichroism measurement from a single camera snapshot, making it compatible with real-time spectroscopy.