Electrical Engineers and Master Electricians (EEAME) Portal
Home
Dictionary
Tutorials
General
Specifications
Forums
Disclaimer
Devices
Dictionary of Electrical Engineering
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
ALL
Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.
circular polarization
a polarization state of a radiated electromagnetic field in which the tip of the electric field vector traces a circle as a function of time for a fixed position. The sense of rotation of the electric field vector is either right-hand or left-hand (clockwise or counter-clockwise).
electric polarization vector
an auxiliary vector in electromagnetics that accounts for the creation of atomic dipoles in a dielectric material due to an applied electric field. Macroscopically, the electric polarization vector is equal to the average number of electric dipole moments per unit volume. Mathematically, P = D - Є
0
E, where D is the electric flux density, E is the electric field intensity, and Є
0
is the free space permittivity. SI units are coulombs per square meter.
elliptical polarization
the polarization state of a radiated electromagnetic field in which the tip of the electric field vector traces an ellipse as a function of time for a fixed position. The sense of rotation of the electric field vector is either right-hand or left-hand (clockwise or counter-clockwise). Circular polarization and linear polarization are special cases of elliptical polarization.
horizontal polarization
a term used to identify the position of the electric field vector of a linearly polarized antenna or propagating EM wave relative to a local reference, usually the ground or horizon. A horizontally polarized EM wave is one with its electric field vector aligned parallel to the local horizontal.
left-hand circular polarization
the state of an electromagnetic wave in which the electric field vector rotates anticlockwise when viewed in the direction of propagation of the wave.
magnetic polarization vector
an auxiliary vector in electromagnetics that accounts for the presence of atomic circulating currents in a material. Macroscopically, the magnetic polarization vector is equal to the average number of magnetic dipole moments per unit volume.
polarization
(1) the shape traced out by the tip of the electric field vector as a function of time and the sense in which it is shaped.
(2) a description of the form of the temporal variation of the electric field vector of a light field. In general, the polarization state can be described by the ellipse that tip of the electric field vector traces each optical cycle.
Commonly encountered limiting forms are linear polarization and circular polarization.
(3) the response of material systems, an applied light field by developing a time varying dipole moment. The response is described quantitatively in terms of the dipole moment per unit volume, which is known as the polarization vector.
(4) description of the direction and motion of the electric field vector of a wave. Plane waves may be linearly or elliptically (including circularly) polarized. polarization controller a device that alters only the polarization state of the incident light.
right hand circular polarization
the state of an electromagnetic wave in which the electric field vector rotates clockwise when viewed in the direction of propagation of the wave.
saturation polarization
the value to which the externally measured electrical dipole moment of a ferroelectric body tends when subjected to an external electrical field greater than the coercive field.