Linear, Circular and Elliptical Polarization Animation in a Single Shot

#polarization
The time-domain progression of the total electric field components of plane waves traveling in the +z direction with various polarizations. Specifically, linear, right hand circular and elliptical polarizations are shown.

The convention used is as defined in the IEEE standard (not the one used in many optics book)

Also see below:
Oblique Plane Wave Reflection From Half Space

Radiation from a Circularly Tapered Dielectric Waveguide

Right Hand Circular Polarization (RHCP) Animation

Linear Polarization Animation

Left Hand Elliptical Polarization (LHEP) Animation

Standing Wave Pattern (SWR) Animation

Electromagnetic Propagation of UWB Short Pulse in Random Medium

Polarizzazione di una Onda ELM: Lineare, Circolare ed Ellittica.

[l.d.]

This is exactly what I needed to put all the pieces together

[ValiBee]

Beating my head trying to visualize the difference between linear, circular, and elliptical polarization and this video summarized it for me perfectly.

[meyavuz]

@crazylovergrl
Simply put, polarization is the orientation of the electric field component of a plane wave as it travels in time. Regarding the video above, you can consider the blue lines as the polarization of the wave. In the linear polarization, E field oscillates along a linear line whereas for the circular polarization electric field rotates along a circular path. I hope this is clear. Thanks

[meyavuz]

@GYANENDRA YADAV I just code the analytical equations using Matlab. Check any introductory EM book for polarization definitions.

[soareswell]

Congratulations! Very goood animation.

[solapowsj]

So many properties in a tiny pocket of energy in free space. Photon. Hues/colors glow on. (Gluon collar). Spherical glow array of photons, elliptical polarization.

[walterbrownstone]

Notice how polarization is described exactly the same way, vertical horizontal elliptical circular, as the motion of an electric charge through the antenna that guides it. What, you expect me to think that's a coincidence?

[meyavuz]

@wa6tkq Thanks for the comment again. Here, the space is fixed, i.e. this is not a section of moving wave for increasing spatial points. every point in the z-direction is a single point in space and I plot the time-domain progression of the wave as it passes through the same spatial points. Hence, as you mentioned, this is rotation in time at a constant spatial point. I have mentioned this in the description of the animation. Regards,

[watkq]

The "point" I refer to is not a spatial point but a point on the moving wave. Suppose you take a short ribbon and twist several turns in it and hold it horizontally in the forward direction and walk in that forward direction. The ribbon does not rotate as it travels. If you stare at a fixed point in space when the ribbon passes thru it the ribbon rotates with time. Circ Pol causes time rotation but not space rotation. There is no way an E vector can be spun at the carrier rate as it propagates.

[assadij]

Another great simulation/animation from meyavuz to explain real life phenomena.
Teşekkürler :)

[meyavuz]

@jethomas5
Hi... For the first case, if the E field rotates in a tilted plane to the direction of propagation, then it does not satisfy the plane wave condition so it is not possible. So, my simulation above is not like that, rather at any spatial point the electric field in the above animation is always perpendicular to the direction of propagation. If you look at my other videos on polarization you can explicitly see the two components (Ex and Ey) making the elliptical wave.

[meyavuz]

@jethomas5
Yes, it might seem like that but I can assure that electric field components are completely orthogonal. Actually, if you see my previous simulation
( ), there I just showed the Ex and Ey component separately, whereas here I show the total field (x^ Ex + y^ Ey).

While recording, I tried other angles for different perspective but this came to be best one for me. If you want I can send the original Matlab code. Let me know. Thanks

[meyavuz]

@wa6tkq
Thanks for your comment but you are wrong. First of all, in your comment you mention that "... that point propagates in the Z direction". This is completely wrong: a spatial point does not propagate, it is always constant in space. Here I tried to plot the total Electric field vector at a set of constant spatial points. At any given point, the amplitude of the Electric field vector is always same and constant but due to phase difference between the X and Y components,

[meyavuz]

@jethomas5
Thanks for the idea of gradually changing from linear back to circular and shifting perspective also. I plan to implement it in the upcoming weeks and I will send you a message once I upload it. Thanks again for the idea.

[jethomas]

@meyavuz

I agree that's how it ought to be. That isn't how your simulation looks to me. When I imagine the third dimension, it looks like your picture involves a constant angular rotation and a tilted ellipse with the center at one focus. When I remind myself that the blue ellipse is flat against the grid then I can see it your way, but it's easy to see the blue ellipse tilted too. I don't know how to set up the perspective so that looks right. No criticism that you didn't either.

[mhdshahul]

hi, you did a great job ! could you tell me with which software and how did you do that please ?? i need to do the same animation for a university project, thanks in advance for your cooperation.

[jethomas]

@meyavuz

I suspect it might be easier to see if it's vertical instead of diagonal. Have the y axis be the longest one and the x axis the shortest. But you've actually done the work while I'm only guessing.

I'm pretty sure it would be easier to see if it gradually changed from linear to circular and back, and then the perspective started to shift also. But that's a whole lot of work.

[pri]

by taking a 3m antenna of both (parabolic and elliptical). which one of signals will be received for an accurate and less loss.

[NiftyFingers]

Can you do one with an exponential decay envelope dependent on z, applied to the x and y components? And rather than showing E for a range of t all at once on the screen, can you show E at each xy plane slice all at once, but vary t from 0 to 10 say (only having one t value for all components per frame)? Basically just to show the real time propagation of the wave in 3d space as time varies, just an idea.

[meyavuz]

@jethomas5 Regarding the second approach (summation of linear and circular polarization), this time it is valid elliptical polarization and my simulation is actually similar to this.

Elliptically polarized light is similar to the second option of yours.
Thanks