Anomalous Spin-Optical Helical Effect in Ti-Based Kagome Metal

The kagome lattice stands as a rich platform for hosting a wide array of correlated quantum phenomena, ranging from charge density waves and superconductivity to electron nematicity and loop current states. Direct detection of loop currents in kagome systems has remained a formidable challenge due to their intricate spatial arrangements and the weak magnetic field signatures they produce, and this has made their identification experimentally subtle. This has left their existence and underlying mechanisms a topic of intense debate. In this work, we uncover signatures compatible with loop currents: spin handedness-selective signals that surpass conventional dichroic, spin, and spin-dichroic responses. We observe this phenomenon in the kagome metal and we call it the anomalous spin-optical helical effect. This effect arises from the coupling of light's helicity with spin-orbital electron correlations, thereby providing an indirect yet sensitive approach to probe loop-current-related electronic correlations in quantum materials. Our discovery not only enriches the debate surrounding loop currents but also offers new experimental strategies to exploit the electronic phases of quantum materials via light-matter interaction.