Chiral environment effects on the dynamics of a central chiral molecule

Abstract

In this work, we develop a system {\it plus} environment approach for interacting chiral molecules under a quantum-classical description of the spin-spin model using a Caldeira-Leggett-like coupling. After presenting the interacting model, we show that a long-ranged parity-nonconserving interaction, encoded within a non-linear Schrödinger equation, produces an energy difference between the two enantiomers of the central chiral molecule when it interacts with a chiral environment. Three examples of such interactions are considered, with particular focus on $Z^0$-photon vacuum polarization. Finally, we reveal a {\it chirality transmission effect} phenomenon, where the time-averaged population difference of the central molecule is amplified when the chiral asymmetry of the environment is considered.