• Accepted Paper

Direct torque detection of crystal chirality

Nikolai Peshcherenko, Ning Mao, Claudia Felser, and Yang Zhang

Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 4 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/l6wn-kvbh

Abstract

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 (τ∼10−11N⋅m), well within the sensitivity of modern torque magnetometry and cantilever-based sensors. We identify robust signatures in chiral crystals such as Te, SiO2, 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.

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