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Polarization Is A Property of Transverse Waves That Specifies The

Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave. In electromagnetic waves like light, polarization is defined as the direction of the oscillating electric field. [Transverse waves have oscillations perpendicular to the direction of motion, and electromagnetic waves have electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and rotate in the direction of propagation.] Circular polarization results when the electric field rotates in a plane as the wave travels, and can rotate either right-handed or left-handed. Linear polarization is a combination of horizontally and vertically polarized waves with the same phase.

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126 views

Polarization Is A Property of Transverse Waves That Specifies The

Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave. In electromagnetic waves like light, polarization is defined as the direction of the oscillating electric field. [Transverse waves have oscillations perpendicular to the direction of motion, and electromagnetic waves have electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and rotate in the direction of propagation.] Circular polarization results when the electric field rotates in a plane as the wave travels, and can rotate either right-handed or left-handed. Linear polarization is a combination of horizontally and vertically polarized waves with the same phase.

Uploaded by

Abhishek
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Polarization of Transverse Wave

Polarization is a property of transverse waves that specifies the


geometrical orientation of the oscillations.

In a transverse wave, the direction of the oscillation is perpendicular to the


direction of motion of the wave.

An electromagnetic wave such as light consists of a coupled


oscillating electric field and magnetic field which are always perpendicular to
each other.

By convention, the "polarization" of electromagnetic waves refers to the


direction of the electric field.
Polarization of Transverse Wave
In circular or elliptical polarization, the fields rotate at a constant rate in a
plane as the wave travels.

The rotation can have two possible directions; if the fields rotate in a right
hand sense with respect to the direction of wave travel, it is called right
circular polarization, while if the fields rotate in a left hand sense, it is
called left circular polarization.
Polarization of Transverse Wave
Now there are two different
perpendicular possible to any given line
of propagation. Accordingly, transverse
waves occur in two independent states of
polarization: “vertical” polarization” and
“horizontal polarization”.

ሚ ሚ ෝ

ሚ ሚ ෝ
Polarization of Transverse Wave
Polarization may happen along any
direction of xy plane.

ሚ ሚ ෝ

The polarization vector ෝ defines the


plane of vibration.

Because the waves are transverse, ෝ is


perpendicular to the direction of
propagation:
ෝ ො
Polarization of Transverse Wave
We have seen that the polarization vector ෝ defines the plane of vibration.

If the polarization vector makes and angle


θ with the x direction, we can write

ෝ ෝ ෝ

Therefore the wave shown above (in the xy plane) may be written as the
combination of vertically polarized wave and horizontally polarized wave.

ሚ ሚ ෝ ሚ ෝ
Polarization of Transverse Wave
ሚ ሚ ෝ
The above equation describes the most general linearly polarized wave on
a string. Linear (or “plane”) polarization results from the combination of
horizontally and vertically polarized waves of the same phase.

ሚ ሚ ෝ ሚ ෝ

If the two components are of equal amplitude, but out of phase by 90o (say,
= 0, = 90o), the result is a circularly polarized wave.
Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
In the region of space where there is no charge or current, we have the
Maxwell’s equation as:

This are set of 4 coupled 1st order PDE for B and E.


Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
We got:

These are the separate equation of E and B. They are 2nd order PDE for E
and B.
We know the wave equation:

Therefore, the Maxwell’s equation imply that empty space supports the
propagation of electromagnetic wave and speed is
Monochromatic Plane Wave
Let us consider the sinusoidal wave of frequency ω. The waves are called
monochromatic wave as the wave vibrate in only one frequency.

Different monochromatic waves in the visible range:


Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
So far, we have only considered waves in the form of planes, that is, the
field components of the wave are traveling in the z direction and have no x
and y dependence.

To visualize such a wave, it would look like a uniform plane of electric and
magnetic fields on the x-y plane moving in the z direction, and hence such
waves are called plane waves because filed are uniform over every plane
perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
Monochromatic Plane Wave
Therefore, we can write the field vector as follows Here k is the direction of
෩ ෩ propagation. In our
෩ ෩ case, it is z, so:
Here ෩ & ෩ are the complex amplitude and ω=ck. ෩

Let us evaluate In the same way:


෩ ෩

Using the identity: That is, electromagnetic


waves are transverse: the
෩ ෩ electric and magnetic
෩ ෩ fields are perpendicular to
the direction of
propagation.
Monochromatic Plane Wave
From Faraday’s law, we have and ෩ ෩ ,
therefore,
෨ ෩ ෩
෨ ෨ ෨

Since ෨ is zero, we have


෩ ෩ ෩ ෩
෩ ෡ ෩
Evidently, E and B are in phase and mutually perpendicular; their (real)
amplitudes are related by:
Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
If E points in the x direction, then B points in the y direction, then we can
write:
෩ ෨ ෝ ෩ ෨ ෝ
Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
A
Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum
A

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