Concentration measurements in chiral media using optical heterodyne polarimeter

A novel method which uses an optical heterodyne polarized interferometer and lock-in technique to probe the concentration of dissolved chiral media is proposed and tested. In contrast to conventional systems, this method shows higher sensitivity of detection and real time monitoring capability. The method's insensitivity to the intensity fluctuations of the laser source is another advantage. In determining the angle of rotation of chiral media, a system error on the order of 1% is achieved in this experiment.