Polarization

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, or circular dichroism

It is possible to obtain circularly polarized light from a synchrotron, which can rapidly be switched between helicities. In the vacuum ultraviolet region of the spectrum this property can be exploited in magnetic circular dichroism measurements to determine the electronic structure of atoms, molecules and solids.

The circularly polarized light can also be used to analyze the conformational structure, or shape, of complex molecules, and in particular the folding of proteins.