elliptical polarization

A similar effect leads to elliptical polarization of light in optics.

A quarter wave plate can be used to produce elliptical polarization as well.

If the angle is in between 0 and 45 the resulting wave has an elliptical polarization.

The name "ellipsometry" stems from the fact that Elliptical polarization of light is used.

In such a material, left- and right-rotating elliptical polarizations can propagate at different speeds.

More generally, it can be in any state , corresponding to linear, circular, or elliptical polarization.

This is the most complete representation of polarized electromagnetic radiation and corresponds in general to elliptical polarization.

Circular polarization is a limiting case of the more general condition of elliptical polarization.

A photon that is in a superposition of eigenstates can have linear, circular, or elliptical polarization.

Note that circular or elliptical polarization can involve either a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the field.

The polarization of any point not equal to or and not on the circle that passes through is known as elliptical polarization.

Linear, circular, and elliptical polarizations are specific cases of TEM polarization.

The general case in which the electric field rotates in the x-y plane and has variable magnitude is called elliptical polarization.

Note that passing linearly polarized light through a quarter-wave plate at an angle other than 45 will generally produce elliptical polarization.

Note that linear polarization and circular polarization can be seen as special cases of elliptical polarization.

The low-power radar was capable of transmitting any linear, circular, or elliptical polarization at C-band frequencies.

Light interacts with a magnetized surface nonlinearly so the reflected light has an elliptical polarization which is then measured by a detector.

Animation of Elliptical Polarization (on YouTube)

However, unpolarized light (such as the light from an incandescent light bulb) is different from any state like (linear, circular, or elliptical polarization).

The oscillation of these fields may be in a single direction (linear polarization), or the field may rotate at the optical frequency (circular or elliptical polarization).

Comparison of Elliptical Polarization with Linear and Circular Polarizations (YouTube Animation)

A combination of linear and circular birefringence will have as basis polarizations two orthogonal elliptical polarizations; the term "elliptical birefringence" however is rarely used.

Similarly, if becomes negative from zero, the line evolves into an ellipse that is being traced out in the clockwise direction; this corresponds to Right-Handed Elliptical Polarization.

Now if one were to introduce a phase shift in between those horizontal and vertical polarization components, one would generally obtain elliptical polarization as is shown in the third figure.

The spin angular momentum of light (SAM) is the component of angular momentum of light that can be associated with the wave's circular or elliptical polarization.