Text: Polarized light can be decomposed into two perpendicular linearly polarized components. If the two are in phase (card id 97075), that light is linearly polarized; the orientation depends on the amplitudes of the two components. If the components are 90° out of phase but have the same amplitude (card id 97664), the light is circularly polarized. In general, output light is elliptically polarized (card id 96911), pictured as consisting of two perpendicular linearly polarized components of different amplitudes and phases.

See Also:

Source: