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PYL100 course:
Electromagnetic Waves and
Quantum Mechanics
Ch.9: Electromagnetic (EM) waves in vacuum
Sinusoidal Waves: The most familiar waveform..
Polarization and polarized wave
Superposition of two waves (from Optics by AG)
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What is a wave?
Disturbance of a continuous medium that
propagate with a certain velocity.
In the presence of absorption, wave
diminishes in size as it moves.
If the medium is dispersive, different
frequencies travel at the different speeds.
In 2D or 3D, as the wave spreads out, its
amplitude will decrease..
Standing waves do not propagate at all.
k=
= wave number
f ( z, t ) = A cos(kz t + )
If the wave is travelling to left then we can write as:
f ( z, t ) = A cos(kz + t )
Complex Notation
Exponentials are much easier to manipulate than
sines and cosines.
Eulers formula:
e = cos + i sin
can be written as
" i(kzt+ ) %
f z,t = Re $ Ae
'&
#
( )
()
f ( z, t ) = A e
~ i ( kz t )
e = Ae
i ( kz t ) i
~
A = Aei complex amplitude includes phase constant also
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Actual wave function is: f (z,t) = Re[ f! (z,t)]
Polarized Waves
Displacement from equilibrium along the direction
of propagation:
Longitudinal Waves
Displacement from equilibrium perpendicular to
the direction of propagation:
Transverse Waves
can be polarized perpendicular to any given line
of propagation,
transverse waves occur in two independent
states of polarization
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Vertical polarization
Polarization
Plane of vibra-on
~
~ i ( k1z t )
f h ( z, t ) = A e
y
f! (z, t) = A! ei(k1zt )n
where,
n = cos x + sin y
~
~
~
i ( k z t )
i ( k z t )
f ( z, t ) = A cose
x + A sin e 12
y
Polarization of Light
un-polarized
plane or Linear (horizontal & vertical)
polarization
Circular polarization (left and right)
Elliptical polarization
Any polarization can be decomposed into two
linearly (plane) polarized states that are orthogonal
to each other..
A very nice animation can be seen at following link:
http://www.enzim.hu/~szia/cddemo/edemo2.htm
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Important note:
Polarized waves String waves displacement
15
Light/electromagnetic waves electric vector
16
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Linear Polarization:
When
We get,
where
the
upper
and
lower
signs
correspond
to
n
even
and
n
odd,
respecAvely.
= 0 =
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Some examples:
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Circular Polarization:
When
and
We get,
independent
of
t
We find that the tip of the electric vector
rotates on the circumference of a circle
(of radius a1) in the counter-clockwise
direction (for propagation out-of paper).
Such a wave is known as a right
circularly polarized [RCP] wave.
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Circular Polarization:
When
and
We get,
Elliptical Polarization:
When
and
In general, when
one obtains an
elliptically polarized wave which degenerates
into a straight line for
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States of polarization
for various values of q
corresponding to a1 =
a2. For example, (c) and
(g) correspond to right
circularly and left
circularly polarized
light respectively;
similarly, (b) and (d)
correspond to right
elliptically polarized
(REP) light and (f) and
(h) correspond to left
elliptically polarized
(LEP) light. The
propagation is out of
the page.
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