Conditions for achieving “optical asymmetric synthesis,” an example of controlled chiral symmetry breaking, using the electric-dipole light-field interaction are derived. These include scenarios in which neither the medium nor the light is chiral by itself. Specifically, parity requirements are used to show that any optical scenario in which the dynamics of the molecule depends on the overall sign of the electric field allows for control over the production of one chiral species in preference to its mirror image. A sample laser-molecule scenario is used to demonstrate these conditions.

• Received 12 July 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.65.015401