Invited Paper MI+BI+EM+SA-MoA1
Spin Transport and Polarization in Chiral Molecules: Theory and Possible Applications

Monday, October 30, 2017, 1:40 pm, Room 11

The functionality of many biological systems depends on reliable electron transfer. Unlike artificial electric circuits, electron transport in nature is realized via insulating chiral (i.e., parity-symmetry breaking) molecules. Recent experiments have revealed that transport through such molecules strongly depends on the electron's spin relative to the propagation direction. In the talk I will introduce the mechanism behind this phenomenon, which has been dubbed chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS). The discovery of the CISS effect has raised important questions about the role of spin in biological processes more generally, and suggests the possibility of a new class of organic-based nanoscale devices. I will discuss some of the key developments regarding spin selectivity; I will present new questions that arise from these results and offer ideas for their resolution.