Abstract
This review describes the interaction between circularly polarized light and metallic nanostructures, the
characteristics of chiral plasmons, and their near-field interaction with matters in the vicinity. In the
near-field region of the nanostructure, especially in the near-field region of plasmonic materials, strongly
twisted electromagnetic fields are generated, and strong optical activity locally arises. The selection rule
for optical activity (optically active materials are chiral) is broken for local optical activity. Circularly
polarized electromagnetic fields can be generated in the vicinity of any materials under resonance
conditions, regardless of the chirality of the material or the optical field. Due to the strongly twisted
optical near-fields, the molecules in the vicinities of metal nanostructures show optically active behavior.
We expect these properties utilized as a basis to manipulate chiral electromagnetic fields and to provide
novel chiral properties of materials.
