Lecture 4

Polarization of EM Waves
Field Polarization
definition: the locus traced by the extremity of a harmonic time-
varying field vector at a given observation point
plane of polarization is orthogonal to direction of propagation
there are three types of polarization: linear, circular, and elliptic
E
E
E
x
x x
y
y
y
z z z
e
linear circular
elliptic
Nikolova 2012
2
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization: Time Domain Analysis
field of any polarization can be represented in terms of 2 orthogonal
linearly polarized components:
( ) cos( ) and ( ) cos( )
x x y y
E t m t E t m t e e o = = +
0
( )
H
e t e
0
( )
H
e t e t +
linearly (horizontally) polarized field
H
V
( ) cos( ) cos( )
x y
t m t m t e e o = + + E x y
Nikolova 2012
3
Field Polarization: Time Domain Analysis (2)
linearly (vertically) polarized field
0
( )
V
e t e
0
( )
V
e t e t +
V
H
Nikolova 2012
4
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
5
Field Polarization: Time Domain Analysis (3)
case 1: linear polarization of arbitrary direction
n o t =
example: direction at 45 deg. ( = 0, m
H
= m
V
)
0
t e
0
t e t +
no constraints on magnitudes
H
V
( ) cos( ) cos( ), 1,2,
x y
t m t m t n n e e t = + = E x y
arctan
V
H
m
m
|
| |
=
|
\ .
|
Nikolova 2012 LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
6
Field Polarization: Time Domain Analysis (4)
/2
L
o t =
case 2: circular polarization
example: clockwise circularly polarized vector,
L
= /2
magnitudes must fulfill m
H
= m
V
= m
1
t e
2 1
2
t t
t
e e = +
(0) 1
(0) 0
H
V
E
E
=
=
(90 ) 0
(90 ) 1
H
V
E
E
=
=

H
V
( ) cos( ) cos( / 2), 1,2, t m t m t n e e t = + = E x y
Nikolova 2012 LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization: Time Domain Analysis (5)
case 3: elliptic polarization
elliptic polarization is any polarization different from linear
or circular
(0) 1
(0) 0
H
V
E
E
=
=
2 , / 2
H V L
m m o t = =
example: counter-clockwise elliptically polarized vector
(90 ) 0
(90 ) 0.5
H
V
E
E
=
=

H
V
Nikolova 2012
7
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization and Wave Propagation
linear horizontal
linear vertical
linear 45 deg.
circular
LH or RH?
Nikolova 2012
8
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization in Terms of CW-CP and CCW-CP Terms
any field can be represented by 2 circularly polarized components
one clockwise and one counter-clockwise
example: linearly polarized wave decomposed into two CP components
Nikolova 2012
9
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization Phasor Analysis
work with decomposition into 2 orthogonal linear components
( ) ( ) ( )
x y x y
t E t E t E E = + = + E x y E x y

( )
( )
( ) cos

( ) cos
x x
x x
j
x y
j
y y
y y
E m
E t m t kz
m m e
E t m t kz
E m e
o
o
e
e o
=
=
= +
= +
=
E x y

drop the propagation factor, exp(jkz), because it is common to

both components and we can always choose z = 0
Nikolova 2012
10
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization Phasor Analysis Linear Polarization
, 0,1,2, n n o t = =
( ) cos( ) cos( )

x y
x y
t m t m t n
m m
e e t = +
=
E x y
E x y

arctan
y
x
m
m
|
| |
=
|
\ .
|
2
0
n o t
|
=
>
x
y
E
x
E
y
E
(2 1)
0
n o t
|
= +
<
x
y
|
x
E
y
E E
Nikolova 2012
11
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
sign + sign
Field Polarization Phasor Analysis Circular Polarization
( )
and / 2 , 0,1,2,
x y
m m m n n o t t = = = + =
( ) cos( ) cos[ ( / 2 )] ( ) t m t m t n m j e e t t = + + = E x y E x y

RH (CW) for
LH (CCW) for
=
=
u z
u z
LH (CCW) for
RH (CW) for
=
=
u z
u z
x
y
0 t e =
4
t
t
e =
2
t
t
e =
3
4
t
t
e =
t e t =
5
4
t
t
e =
3
2
t
t
e =
7
4
t
t
e =
( )
/ 2
m j
o t
= +
=
E x y
z
x
y
0 t e =
4
t
t
e =
2
t
t
e =
3
4
t
t
e =
t e t =
5
4
t
t
e =
3
2
t
t
e =
7
4
t
t
e =
( )
/ 2
L
m j
o t
=
=
E x y
z
Nikolova 2012
12
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization Phasor Analysis Circular Polarization (2)
sense of rotation is determined when looking along the direction of
propagation(caution: in optics, the agreement is opposite)
(CCW) LH-CP wave is
( ( ) )
jkz
z e m j

= + x y E

(CW) RH-CP wave is

( ) ( )
jkz
z e m j
+
+ = E x y

if wave propagates along +z

if wave propagates along z
Nikolova 2012
13
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
x
y
0 t e =
4
t
t
e =
2
t
t
e =
3
4
t
t
e =
t e t =
5
4
t
t
e =
3
2
t
t
e =
7
4
t
t
e =

2
( )
/
m j
o t
= +
=
E x y
z
Field Polarization Phasor Analysis Elliptic Polarization
phase difference can be any
magnitude ratio m
x
/m
y
can be any
the term elliptic polarization is used to indicate polarizations other
than linear or circular
( ) cos( ) cos( )

x y
j
x y
t m t m t
m m e
o
e e o = + +
= +
E x y
E x y

elliptic polarization has sense of rotation the sign of determines
the sense of rotation
Nikolova 2012
14
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization in Terms of Circularly Polarized Components
Any field can be written in terms of two CP terms one RHCP, the
other LHCP (wave propagating along +z)
( ) ( )
R L
E j E j = + + E x y x y

Bearing in mind that this field can also be represented in terms of two
LP terms

x y
E E = + E x y

find the equations allowing for the calculation of E
R
and E
L
if E
x
and
E
y
are known.
Nikolova 2012
15
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Field Polarization
What is the angular speed of rotation of the field vectors in the case
of a circularly polarized wave of radian frequency ?
( ) cos( ) cos( / 2), 1,2,
m m
t e t e t n e e t = + = E x y
Nikolova 2012
16
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
Summary: Field Polarization
Nikolova 2012
17
LECTURE 04: POLARIZATION
harmonic plane waves are characterized by their polarization
polarization is defined by the locus traced by the tip of the E-field
vector as time flows
polarization can be linear, circular, or elliptic (do not identify with
the other two!)
circular and elliptic polarizations can be right-hand (clockwise) or
left-hand (counter-clockwise)
in microwave and antenna engng: the sense of rotation is
determined by looking along the direction of propagation (thumb
points along direction of propagation)
every plane-wave field can be decomposed into: (1) two mutually
orthogonal linearly polarized terms, or (2) two circularly polarized
terms of opposite sense of rotation