ClassificationofPolarization

Lightintheformofaplanewaveinspaceissaidtobelinearlypolarized. Lightisatransverseelectromagneticwave,butnaturallightisgenerally unpolarized,allplanesofpropagationbeingequallyprobable.Iflightis composedoftwoplanewavesofequalamplitudebydifferinginphaseby 90,thenthelightissaidtobecircularlypolarized.Iftwoplanewavesof differingamplitudearerelatedinphaseby90,oriftherelativephaseis otherthan90thenthelightissaidtobeellipticallypolarized.

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Methodsforachievingpolarization HyperPhysics*****LightandVision
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LinearPolarization
Aplaneelectromagneticwaveissaidtobelinearlypolarized.Thetransverse electricfieldwaveisaccompaniedbyamagneticfieldwaveasillustrated.

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Comparewithcircularandellipticalpolarization HyperPhysics*****LightandVision

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CircularPolarization
Circularlypolarizedlightconsistsoftwoperpendicularelectromagneticplane wavesofequalamplitudeand90differenceinphase.Thelightillustratedis rightcircularlypolarized.

Index Polarization concepts

Iflightiscomposedoftwoplanewavesofequalamplitudebutdifferingin phaseby90,thenthelightissaidtobecircularlypolarized.Ifyoucouldsee thetipoftheelectricfieldvector,itwouldappeartobemovinginacircleasit approachedyou.Ifwhilelookingatthesource,theelectricvectorofthelight comingtowardyouappearstoberotatingcounterclockwise,thelightissaid toberightcircularlypolarized.Ifclockwise,thenleftcircularlypolarized light.Theelectricfieldvectormakesonecompleterevolutionasthelight advancesonewavelengthtowardyou.Anotherwayofsayingitisthatifthe thumbofyourrighthandwerepointinginthedirectionofpropagationofthe light,theelectricvectorwouldberotatinginthedirectionofyourfingers. Circularlypolarizedlightmaybeproducedbypassinglinearlypolarizedlight throughaquarterwaveplateatanangleof45totheopticaxisoftheplate. Comparewithlinearandellipticalpolarization HyperPhysics*****LightandVision
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EllipticalPolarization
Ellipticallypolarizedlightconsistsoftwoperpendicularwavesofunequal amplitudewhichdifferinphaseby90.Theillustrationshowsright ellipticallypolarizedlight.

Index Polarization concepts

Ifthethumbofyourrighthandwerepointinginthedirectionofpropagation ofthelight,theelectricvectorwouldberotatinginthedirectionofyour fingers. Comparewithlinearandcircularpolarization HyperPhysics*****LightandVision

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