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Elliptical Polarization |
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| The general case of "out-of-phase" vertical and horizontal field components is called elliptical polarization. One example of elliptical polarization is shown below. |
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| Notes: |
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- RHCP and LHCP are special cases of elliptical polarization. To be pure circular polarization, both horizontal and vertical field components must have equal magnitudes and one must be exactly 90 degrees out of phase from the other. Otherwise, the polarization will be simply elliptical.
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- Elliptical polarization derives its name from the pattern traced out by the tips of the field vectors. Look carefully, and you should see the tip of the arrow trace out a slanted ellipse in space as it makes its rotations. The orientation and eccentricity of this ellipse is linked to the different wave amplitudes on the vertical and horizontal components and the relative difference between their phases.
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