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Polarization PDF
Polarization PDF
The polarization is the locus traced by the extremity of the time-varying field
vector at a fixed observation point.
According to the shape of the trace, three types of polarization exist for
harmonic fields: linear, circular and elliptical. Any polarization can be
represented by two orthogonal linear polarizations, ( Ex , E y ) or ( EH , EV ), the
fields of which may, in general, have different magnitudes and may be out of
phase by an angle δ L .
y y y
E
ω E
z x z x z E x
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• If δ L = 0 or nπ , then linear polarization results.
ωt = 0 ωt = 0
eH (t ) only eH (t )
eV (t )
ωt = π ωt = π
eV (t )
eH (t ) only
eH (t )
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• If δ L = π / 2 (90 ) and | Ex |=| E y | , then circular polarization results.
ωt1 ω=
t2 ωt1 + π / 2
ωt = 0 ωt = π / 2
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2. Field Polarization in Terms of Two Orthogonal Linearly Polarized
Components
The polarization of any field can be represented by a set of two orthogonal
linearly polarized fields. Assume that locally a far-field wave propagates along
the z-axis. The far-zone field vectors have only transverse components. Then,
the set of two orthogonal linearly polarized fields along the x-axis and along
the y-axis, is sufficient to represent any TEMz field. We use this arrangement to
introduce the concept of polarization vector.
The field (time-dependent or phasor vector) is decomposed into two
orthogonal components:
e =e x + e y ⇒ E =E x + E y , (5.1)
= e x Ex cos (ωt − β z ) xˆ E x = Ex xˆ
⇒ (5.2)
= e y E y cos (ωt − β z + δ L ) yˆ E y = E y e jδ L yˆ.
At a fixed position (assume z = 0 ), equation (5.1) can be written as
e(t ) = xˆ ⋅ Ex cos ωt + yˆ ⋅ E y cos(ωt + δ L )
(5.3)
⇒ E = x ⋅ Ex + y ⋅ E y e
ˆ ˆ jδ L
y δ L = 2 kπ y δ= (2k + 1)π
L
⇒t > 0 ⇒t < 0
Ey E E Ey
t Ex
Ex x t x
Ey
t = ± arctan
Ex
(a) (b)
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Case 2: Circular polarization:
π
Ex = Em and d L =
Ey = ± + nπ , n =
0,1, 2,
2
z ωt = 0 ωt = 0
ωt = π ωt = π z
x x
π 7π
3π ωt = 5π ωt =
ωt = π 4 ωt = 4
ωt = 4 3π
4 ωt =
2 2
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A snapshot of the field vector (at a particular moment of time) along the axis
of propagation is given below for a right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP)
wave. Pick an observing position along the axis of propagation (see the plane
defined by the x and y axes in the plot below) and imagine that the whole
helical trajectory of the tip of the field vector moves along the wave vector .
Are you going to see the vector rotating clockwise or counter-clockwise as you
look along ? (Ans.: Clockwise, which is equivalent to RH sense of rotation.)
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Show that the trace of the time-dependent vector is an ellipse:
t ) E y (cos ωt ⋅ cos δ L − sin ωt ⋅ sin δ L )
e y (=
2
e (t ) e (t )
cos ωt = x and sin ω=
t 1− x
Ex Ex
2
ex (t ) e y (t ) e y (t )
2
ex (t )
sin 2 δ L = E − 2 E E cos δ L +
x x y Ey
or (dividing both sides by sin 2 δ L ),
1= x 2 (t ) − 2 x(t ) y (t )cos δ L + y 2 (t ) , (5.7)
where
ex (t ) cos ωt
= x(t ) = ,
Ex sin δ L sin δ L
e y (t ) cos(ωt + δ L )
= y (t ) = .
E y sin δ L sin δ L
Equation (5.7) is the equation of an ellipse centered in the xy plane. It
describes the trajectory of a point of coordinates x(t) and y(t), i.e., normalized
ex (t ) and e y (t ) values, along an ellipse where the point moves with an angular
frequency ω .
As the circular polarization, the elliptical polarization can be right-handed
or left-handed, depending on the relation between the direction of propagation
and the sense of rotation.
ey (t )
Ey
mi
t
no
ra
)
xis
A
(2O
Ex ex (t )
(2
axis
jor
OB
ma
)
E
ω
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The parameters of the polarization ellipse are given below. Their derivation
is given in Appendix I.
a) major axis ( 2 × OA )
1 2
OA = Ex + E y2 + Ex4 + E y4 + 2 Ex2 E y2 cos(2δ L ) (5.8)
2
b) minor axis ( 2 × OB )
1 2
OB = Ex + E y2 − Ex4 + E y4 + 2 Ex2 E y2 cos(2δ L ) (5.9)
2
c) tilt angle τ
1 2 Ex E y
t = arctan 2 − E2
cos δ L (5.10)
2
E x y
A
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3. Field Polarization in Terms of Two Circularly Polarized Components
The representation of a complex vector field in terms of circularly polarized
components is somewhat less easy to perceive but it is actually more useful in
the calculation of the polarization ellipse parameters. This time, the total field
phasor is represented as the superposition of two circularly polarized waves,
one right-handed and the other left-handed. For the case of a wave propagating
along − z [see Case 2 and Eq. (5.5)],
E= E R ( xˆ + jyˆ ) + E L ( xˆ − jyˆ ) . (5.12)
Here, ER and EL are in general complex phasors. Assuming a relative phase
difference of δ=
C ϕ L − ϕ R , one can write (5.12) as
E = eR (xˆ + jyˆ ) + eL e jδC (xˆ − jyˆ ) , (5.13)
where eR and eL are real numbers.
The relations between the linear-component and the circular-component
representations of the field polarization are easily found as
E = xˆ ( E R + E L ) + yˆ j ( E R − E L ) (5.14)
(( ((
Ex Ey
E= E R + E L
⇒ x (5.15)
=
E y j( ER − EL )
= ER 0.5( E x − jE y )
⇒ (5.16)
= EL 0.5( E x + jE y ).
The polarization vector is the normalized phasor of the electric field vector.
It is a complex-valued vector of unit magnitude, i.e., ρˆ L ⋅ ρˆ ∗L =
1.
E E E y jδ L
ρˆ L = xˆ x + yˆ
= e , Em =
Ex2 + E y2 (5.17)
Em Em Em
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The polarization vector takes the following specific forms:
Case 1: Linear polarization (the polarization vector is real-valued)
E Ey
ρˆ =±
xˆ x yˆ , Em =+ Ex2 E y2 (5.18)
Em Em
where Ex and E y are real numbers.
The polarization ratio is the ratio of the phasors of the two orthogonal
polarization components. In general, it is a complex number:
E y E y e jδ L EV
=
rL rL e=
δL = or =
rL (5.20)
E x Ex E H
Point of interest: In the case of circular-component representation, the
polarization ratio is defined as
E R
= rC rC=
e jδC . (5.21)
E L
The circular polarization ratio rC is of particular interest since the axial ratio of
the polarization ellipse AR can be expressed as
r +1
AR = C . (5.22)
rC − 1
Besides, its tilt angle with respect to the y (vertical) axis is simply
τV = δ C / 2 . (5.23)
Comparing (5.10) and (5.23) readily shows the relation between the phase
difference δC of the circular-component representation and the linear
polarization ratio rL = rL e jδ L :
2r
δ C = arctan L 2 cos δ L . (5.24)
1 − rL
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We can calculate rC from the linear polarization ratio rL making use of (5.11)
and (5.22):
rC + 1 1 + rL2 + 1 + rL4 + 2rL2 cos(2δ L )
=
AR = . (5.25)
rC − 1
1+ − 1+ rL2 rL4 δ+ 2 rL2 cos(2 L )
Using (5.24) and (5.25) allows for the switching between the representation of
the wave polarization in terms of linear and circular components.
5. Antenna Polarization
The polarization of a transmitting antenna is the polarization of its
radiated wave in the far zone.
The polarization of a receiving antenna is the polarization of a plane
wave, incident from a given direction, which, for a given power flux density,
results in maximum available power at the antenna terminals.
By convention, the antenna polarization is defined by the polarization
vector of the wave it transmits. Therefore, the antenna polarization vector is
determined according to the definition of antenna polarization in a transmitting
mode. Notice that the polarization vector of a wave in the coordinate system of
the transmitting antenna is represented by its complex conjugate in the
coordinate system of the receiving antenna:
ρˆ rw = (ρˆ tw )∗ . (5.26)
The conjugation is without importance for a linearly polarized wave since its
polarization vector is real. It is, however, important in the cases of circularly
and elliptically polarized waves.
This is illustrated in the figure below with a right-hand CP wave. Let the
coordinate triplet ( x1t , x2t , x3t ) represent the coordinate system of the transmitting
antenna while ( x1r , x2r , x3r ) represents that of the receiving antenna. Note that in
antenna theory the plane of polarization is usually given in spherical
coordinates by (xˆ 1, xˆ 2 ) ≡ (θˆ , φˆ ) and the third axis obeys xˆ 1 × xˆ 2 = xˆ 3 , i.e.,
xˆ 3 = rˆ . Since the transmitting and receiving antennas face each other, their
coordinate systems are oriented so that xˆ t3 = −xˆ 3r (i.e., rˆ r = −rˆ t ). If we align the
axes xˆ 1t and xˆ 1r , then xˆ t2 = −xˆ r2 must hold. This changes the sign in the
imaginary part of the wave polarization vector.
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x1t x1r
wt = 0 wt = 0
x2r
RHCP wave x3t x3r
kˆ = xˆ t3 kˆ = −xˆ 3r
x2t wt = π / 2 wt = π / 2
1 t 1 r
ρˆ tw
= (xˆ 1 − jxˆ t2 ) ρˆ rw
= (xˆ 1 + jxˆ r2 )
2 2
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[Balanis]
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2
= ρˆ ∗Tx ⋅ ρˆ Rx
PLF . (5.29)
2
= ρˆ Tx ⋅ ρˆ ∗Rx
The expression PLF is also correct.
θ̂Tx θ̂ Rx φ̂Rx
r̂Tx r̂Rx
ρ̂Tx ρˆ ∗Tx
φ̂Tx
ρˆ ∗Rx ρ̂ Rx
Examples
Example 5.1. The electric field of a linearly polarized EM wave is
Ei= xˆ ⋅ Em ( x, y )e − j β z .
It is incident upon a linearly polarized antenna whose polarization is
Ea = (xˆ + yˆ ) ⋅ E (r ,θ ,ϕ ) .
Find the PLF.
2
1 1
PLF =⋅ xˆ (xˆ + yˆ ) =
2 2
PLF[dB] = 10log10 0.5 = −3 dB
Both antennas (the transmitting one and the receiving one) are RH
circularly polarized in transmitting mode. Assume that a transmitting
antenna is located at the center of a spherical coordinate system. The far-
zone field it would produce is described as
E= far Em θˆ ⋅ cos ωt + φˆ ⋅ cos(ωt − π / 2) .
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This is a RHCP field with respect to the outward radial direction. Its
polarization vector is
θˆ − jφˆ
ρˆ = .
2
This is exactly the polarization vector of the transmitting antenna.
Eϕ
θ Eθ
r
y
ϕ
This same field Ε far is incident upon a receiving antenna, which has the
polarization vector ρ= ˆ a (θˆ a − jφˆ a ) / 2 in its own coordinate system
(ra ,θ a ,ϕa ) . However, Ε far propagates along −rˆa in the (ra ,θ a ,ϕa )
coordinate system, and, therefore, its polarization vector is
θˆ a + jφˆ a
ρˆ i = .
2
The PLF is calculated as per (5.27):
| (θˆ a + jφˆ a )(θˆ a − jφˆ a ) |2
PLF = | ρˆ i ⋅ ρˆ a | =
2 = 1,
4
=
PLF[dB] 10log = 10 1 0 .
There is no polarization loss.
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Exercise: Show that an antenna of RH circular polarization (in transmitting
mode) cannot receive LH circularly polarized incident wave (or a wave
emitted by a left-circularly polarized antenna).
Appendix I
Find the tilt angle τ , the length of the major axis OA, and the length of the
minor axis OB of the ellipse described by the equation:
2
ex (t ) e y (t ) e y (t )
2
ex (t )
sin 2 δ =
E − 2 E E cos δ + . (A-1)
x x y y
E
ey (t )
Ey
mi
t
no
ra
A)
xis
O
s (2 Ex ex (t )
(2
xi
ra
OB
jo
ma
)
E
ω
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1 2 Ex E y cos δ π
t1= arctan 2 − E2
t
2 1
; = t + . (A-8)
2 E x y 2
The angles τ1 and τ2 are the angles between the major and minor axes with the x
axis. Substituting τ1 and τ 2 back in ρ (see A-4) yields the expressions for OA
and OB.
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