English

Equilibrium Spin Polarization Arising From Chirality

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2025-10-29 v1

Abstract

Chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) describes how chiral molecules and materials generate spin polarization even at thermal equilibrium. This observation has challenged established principles of microscopic reversibility and Onsager reciprocity. We resolve this paradox by formulating a pseudo-Hermitian quantum framework in which structural chirality and electron correlations are sufficient to produce CISS observables. Chirality enters through a non-local metric that couples spin and spatial motion, leading to real spectra, unitary evolution, and thermodynamic consistency. The framework predicts a chirality-induced spin magnetic ordering characterized by a spin--displacement order σx\langle \sigma \cdot x \rangle, which reconciles equilibrium spin polarization with detailed balance and explains the persistence of CISS in materials composed of light elements. We also derive generalized Onsager-Casimir relations that respect the observed parity (P\mathcal{P}) and time-reversal (T\mathcal{T}) breaking, while preserving combined PT\mathcal{PT}-symmetry. This approach establishes a coherent foundation for equilibrium CISS and provides a route to link chemical chirality with measurable spin-to-charge conversion effects.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2510.24624,
  title  = {Equilibrium Spin Polarization Arising From Chirality},
  author = {Pius M. Theiler and Matthew C. Beard},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.24624},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

17 pages, 3 figures

R2 v1 2026-07-01T07:09:56.668Z