GATE EC 2026 Set 1 — Question 24
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Electromagnetics → Plane Waves → Polarization (Linear, Circular, Elliptical)
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Question
The electric field of a monochromatic plane wave travelling in a lossless isotropic and homogenous medium is given byin a right-handed orthogonal co-ordinate system.Which of the following is the correct polarization of the electromagnetic wave?
Correct answer
(A) Right-handed circularly polarized
Solution
The electric field components are:
1.Magnitude: Both components have equal magnitude .
2.Phase: lags by (or ).
3.Propagation: The wave propagates in the direction (from the term).
4.Rotation: At , the field is . As increases from , the vector rotates from the axis () toward the axis ().
Using the right-hand rule: Point your right thumb in the direction of propagation (). Your fingers curl from the -axis to the -axis, which matches the direction of rotation of the electric field vector. Therefore, the wave is Right-Handed Circularly Polarized (RHCP).Continue learning with Success Tracker
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