The origin of chirality induced spin selectivity in photo-induced electron transfer

Thomas P. Fay, David T. Limmer

Published 2021-06-11Version 1

Here we propose a mechanism by which spin polarization can be generated dynamically in chiral molecular systems undergoing photo-induced electron transfer. The proposed mechanism explains how spin polarization emerges in systems where charge transport is dominated by incoherent hopping, mediated by spin orbit and electronic exchange couplings through an intermediate charge transfer state. We derive a simple expression for the spin polarization that predicts a non-monotonic temperature dependence consistent with recent experiments. We validate this theory using approximate quantum master equations and the numerically exact hierarchical equations of motion. The proposed mechanism of chirality induced spin selectivity should apply to many chiral systems, and the ideas presented here have implications for the study of spin transport at temperatures relevant to biology, and provide simple principles for the molecular control of spins in fluctuating environments.