  We report on the first experimental demonstration of enantioselective
rotational control of chiral molecules with a laser field. In our experiments,
two enantiomers of propylene oxide are brought to accelerated unidirectional
rotation by means of an optical centrifuge. Using Coulomb explosion imaging, we
show that the centrifuged molecules acquire preferential orientation
perpendicular to the plane of rotation, and that the direction of this
orientation depends on the relative handedness of the enantiomer and the
rotating centrifuge field. The observed effect is in agreement with theoretical
predictions and is reproduced in numerical simulations of the centrifuge
excitation followed by Coulomb explosion of the centrifuged molecules. The
demonstrated technique opens new avenues in optical enantioselective control of
chiral molecules with a plethora of potential applications in differentiation,
separation and purification of chiral mixtures.
