Abstract
α) Light is a transverse electromagnetic wave and the nature of the vibration of the electric displacement vector in the plane normal to the direction of wave propagation defines the state of polarisation of a light beam. In a completely polarised beam 1, the vibration may be either linear in any azimuth at right angles to the propagation direction, or elliptical, with the major axis at any azimuth. The ratio of the axes of the ellipse can have any value and the sense of the ellipse may again be right or left handed. The two limiting cases of eUiptic vibrations are linear and circular vibrations. Correspondingly, the light beam would be said to be elliptically, linearly or circularly polarised.
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General references
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© 1961 Springer-Verlag OHG. Berlin · Göttingen · Heidelberg
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Ramachandran, G.N., Ramaseshan, S. (1961). Crystal Optics. In: Flügge, S. (eds) Kristalloptik · Beugung / Crystal Optics · Diffraction. Handbuch der Physik / Encyclopedia of Physics, vol 5 / 25 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45959-7_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45959-7_1
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