- Accepted Paper
Direct torque detection of crystal chirality
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 4 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/l6wn-kvbh
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 4 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/l6wn-kvbh
Chirality governs phenomena ranging from chemical reactions to the topology of quasiparticle charge carriers. However, a direct macroscopic probe for crystal chirality remains a significant challenge, especially in time-reversal-symmetric systems with a weak circular dichroism signal. Here, we propose the "Chiralometer", a mechanical detection method that probes chirality by driving angular momentum carriers out of equilibrium. Using first-principles calculations and semiclassical transport theory, we demonstrate that a temperature gradient in insulators or an electric field in metals induces uncompensated angular momentum in phonons and electrons, respectively. This imbalance generates a macroscopic mechanical torque (), well within the sensitivity of modern torque magnetometry and cantilever-based sensors. We identify robust signatures in chiral crystals such as Te, SiO, and the topological semimetal CoSi. Furthermore, the trace of the torque-response tensor vanishes by symmetry in every achiral non-centrosymmetric class and is symmetry-allowed (and generically nonzero) in chiral ones, providing a symmetry-protected order parameter that distinguishes chiral from achiral gyrotropic media. Our work establishes mechanical torque as a fundamental order parameter for chirality, offering a transformative tool for orbitronics and chiral quantum materials.
If the author has provided any supplemental materials with this article they will be available upon publication of the version of record.