Hertz and polarization of EM waves

[illegalvirus]

Hi, I'm having difficulty understanding exactly how the reciever loop detects the EM waves in this experiment and I can't find any definitive information online.

My understanding is that since EM waves are transverse, to be absorbed by the receiving electrodes, the length of the molecule chains in the electrodes have to be perpendicular to the EM wave's transmission axis. So both sets of electrodes must be parallel to each other?

 

[pallidin]

So both sets of electrodes must be parallel to each other?

This is not necessary at all, rather an optimization.