Circularly polarized luminescence: A review of experimental and theoretical aspects

We review the present status of experiments and calculations for circularly polarized
luminescence (CPL) of simple organic molecules and of stimuli-responsive organic molecules.
Together with the historical report of the main instrumental approaches, a few crucial
points about experiments are tackled, with the aim of defining measurement protocols, in view
of the wide availability of commercial apparatuses in the near future. The calculations aimed at
interpreting the CPL spectra, mostly based on time-dependent Density Functional Theory
(TD-DFT) calculations, which started around 2010, are reviewed, limiting the discussion to small
to mid-sized molecules. Some applications of CPL spectra of organic molecules-based systems
are presented, with a focus especially on two fields: material science and biology.