IGNOU BPHCT 137 2026 - Obtain an expression for elliptically polarised light resulting due to

Question

Obtain an expression for elliptically polarised light resulting due to superposition of two orthogonal linearly polarised light waves. Show that plane polarised light and circularly polarised light are special cases of elliptically polarised light.

19 Jan 2026

Answer :

Word Count : 558

Consider two plane monochromatic light waves travelling in the same direction along the z–axis. Let the first wave be linearly polarised along the x–axis and the second wave be linearly polarised along the y–axis, such that their planes of polarisation are mutually perpendicular. The electric field components of the two waves can be written as Ex = a cos (ωt – kz) Ey = b cos (ωt – kz + δ) where a and b are the amplitudes of the two waves, ω is the angular frequency, k is the propagation constant and δ is the constant phase difference between them. Since the two waves are acting simultaneously at the same point in space, the resultant electric field is obtained by superposition of these two components. The x and y components represent the projections of the resultant electric field vector

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