Mathematical Description of Elliptical Polarization
The classical sinusoidal plane wave solution of the electromagnetic 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 the speed of light.
Here is the amplitude of the field and
is the Jones vector in the x-y plane. The axes of the ellipse have lengths and . If and are equal the wave is linearly polarized. If they differ by the wave is circularly polarized.
Read more about this topic: Elliptical Polarization
Famous quotes containing the words mathematical and/or description:
“An accurate charting of the American woman’s progress through history might look more like a corkscrew tilted slightly to one side, its loops inching closer to the line of freedom with the passage of time—but like a mathematical curve approaching infinity, never touching its goal. . . . Each time, the spiral turns her back just short of the finish line.”
—Susan Faludi (20th century)
“A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)