Photostriction-driven phase transition in layered chiral NbOX2 crystals: electrical-field-controlled enantiomer selectivity

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jorge Cardenas-Gamboa - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Martin Gutierrez-Amigo - , Aalto University (Author)
  • Aritz Leonardo - , Donostia International Physics Center, University of the Basque Country (Author)
  • Gregory A. Fiete - , Northeastern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University (Author)
  • Juan L. Mañes - , University of the Basque Country (Author)
  • Jeroen van den Brink - , Clusters of Excellence ctd.qmat: Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter, Chair of Solid State Theory, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Claudia Felser - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Maia G. Vergniory - , Donostia International Physics Center, Université de Sherbrooke (Author)

Abstract

The physical properties of chiral crystals are inherently tied to their structural handedness, making external control of chirality a key challenge for functional materials design. However, the ability to select between structural enantiomers remains challenging, both theoretically and experimentally. In this work, we demonstrate a two-step pathway for enantiomer selectivity in layered chiral NbOX2 (X = Cl, Br, I) crystals based on photostriction-driven phase transitions. Ab-initio simulations reveal that optical excitation is capable of inducing a structural phase transition in NbOX2 from the monoclinic (C2) ground state to the higher-symmetry (C2/m) structure. In the resulting transient high-symmetry state, an applied electric field breaks the residual inversion-symmetry degeneracy, selectively stabilizing one enantiomeric final state configuration over the other. Our results establish a combined optical-electrical control scheme for chiral materials, enabling reversible and non-contact enantiomer selection with potential applications in ultrafast switching, optoelectronics, and chiral information storage.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number56
Journalnpj quantum materials
Volume11
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2026
Peer-reviewedYes