Determination of absolute chirality using resonant X-ray diffraction

We have demonstrated that resonant diffraction experiments using the circularly polarized X-ray beam absolutely determines the crystal chirality. Both berlinite and quartz crystals belonging to space group P3₂21 show higher azimuth-constant intensity for the negative (?) helicity beam than that for the the positive (+) helicity beam for space-group forbidden reflection 001. The relation is opposite for quartz crystal belonging to space group P3₁21. Theoretical calculation shows that this relation completely agrees with the experimental findings for the enantiomorphic space-group pair P3₁21 and P3₂21. This method is applicable to chiral motifs that occur in biomolecules, liquid crystals, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics, etc.