- Elliptical polarization
In
electrodynamics , elliptical polarization is thepolarization ofelectromagnetic radiation such that the tip of theelectric field vector describes anellipse in any fixed plane intersecting, and normal to, the direction of propagation. An elliptically polarized wave may be resolved into two linearly polarized waves in phase quadrature, with their polarization planes at right angles to each other. Since the electric field can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise as it propagates, elliptically polarized waves exhibit chirality.Other forms of polarization, such as circular and
linear polarization , can be considered to be special cases of elliptical polarization.Mathematical description of elliptical polarization
The classical
sinusoidal plane wave solution of theelectromagnetic wave equation for the electric and magnetic fields is (cgs units) ::
for the magnetic field, where k is the
wavenumber ,:
is the
angular frequency of the wave, and is thespeed of light .Here
:
is the
amplitude of the field and:
is the
Jones vector in the x-y plane. Here is an angle that determines the tilt of the ellipse and determines the aspect ratio of the ellipse. If and are equal the wave is linearly polarized. If they differ by they are circularly polarized.ee also
*
Polarization of classical electromagnetic waves
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