Wave polarization
Wave polarization
Wave polarization corresponds to the orientation of its electric field in relation with surrounding terrain (ground).
Imagine you are standing in a field (meadow); far from you, at the end of the field, there is an antenna. Behind the antenna, you see the sky.
In the illustration below, the antenna is a dipole (two equal length straight conductors). The radiofrequency feed to the antenna is represented by the symbol for an AC generator (a circle with a sinusoid).
If you could see the electric field (lines of force) hitting you, the observer, it would be oriented as follows …
The magnetic field (not shown for simplicity) is perpendicular to the electric field: if polarization is vertical, the magnetic field is horizontal and vice-versa.
This question of polarization is important on certain paths to ensure maximum signal strength: for example, in line-of-sight propagation, a significant loss is incurred if the receiving and transmitting antennas do not employ the same polarization.
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