  Optical fields can exert forces of chiral nature on molecules and
nanoparticles, which would prove extremely valuable in the separation of
enantiomers with pharmaceutical applications, yet it is inherently complex, and
the varied frameworks used in the literature further complicate the theoretical
understanding. This paper unifies existing approaches used to describe dipolar
optical forces and introduces a new symmetry-based `force basis' consisting of
twelve vector fields, each weighted by particle-specific coefficients, for a
streamlined description of force patterns. The approach is rigorously applied
to evanescent waves and dielectric nanofibres, yielding concise analytical
expressions for optical forces. Through this, we identify optimal strategies
for enantiomer separation, offering invaluable guidance for future experiments.
