Elliptical Polarization

Elliptically polarized electromagnetic waves are produced wherever two plain electromagnetic waves with different polarizations, such as vertical and horizontal, different amplitudes, the same frequencies, but different phases, combine. Elliptically polarized waves differ from plain waves in that neither their magnetic nor electrostatic fields ever pass through zero at any instant in time. Instead, both fields rotate in the plane of the wave front synchronously with the frequency of the wave. Even though their magnetic and electrostatic fields never go to zero, both vary in amplitude at the frequency of the wave. ©2004 Tigertek, Inc. All rights reserved.

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