A light beam is said to be linearly polarized if the
end-point of the electric vector moves in a straight line when viewed along the direction of
propagation of the beam. If it moves along a circle the beam is circularly polarized and if it
moves along an ellipse the beam is elliptically polarized.
Note:
Circular
polarization is said to be right-handed if the direction of rotation is clockwise when viewed
against the direction of
propagation and left-handed if the sense of the rotation is opposite. When the position of the
endpoint of the electric vector is viewed at a given time
t as a function of distance along x, it forms a left-handed
helix if the light
polarization is left-handed and a right-handed
helix is it is right-handed.
Source:
PAC, 2007, 79, 293
(Glossary of terms used in photochemistry, 3rd edition (IUPAC Recommendations 2006))
on page 364
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
