When a light is polarized,what happens to its magnetic field?

AI Thread Summary
When light is polarized, its electric field oscillates along a specific transverse axis, while the magnetic field oscillates perpendicular to it. Polarization occurs when unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, which absorbs half of the light's energy. Light is an electromagnetic wave, generated through processes like black body radiation, fluorescence, and stimulated emission in lasers. The discussion also touches on the nature of light as a discontinuous flow of quanta, which can lead to quantum noise in weak light detection. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping the behavior of polarized light and its electromagnetic properties.
kiru
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
When a light is polarized,what happens to its magnetic field?
Also what is light.How it is produced? :confused:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
kiru said:
When a light is polarized,what happens to its magnetic field?
Also what is light.How it is produced? :confused:
When unpolarized light goes through a polarizing filter, half of the lights energy is absorbed by the filter (that's the idealized short story). The outcoming light's electric field "oscillates" along one transverse axis. The light's magnetic field still oscillates along along an axis perpedicular to the electric field.

The "picket fence analogy" is usually to blame for this. Polarization of light is not due to light squeezing through tiny gaps in the substance.
 
Last edited:
Light is an electromagnetic wave, which is a disturbance in an electromagnetic field that propagates at a fixed speed.

Most of the light we observe is due to black body radiation, fluroescence can be put down to spontaneous emission, whereas lasers generate light via stimulated emission.

Claude.
 
Claude Bile said:
Light is an electromagnetic wave, which is a disturbance in an electromagnetic field that propagates at a fixed speed.

Most of the light we observe is due to black body radiation, fluroescence can be put down to spontaneous emission, whereas lasers generate light via stimulated emission.

Claude
I think Oscillating dipole can also produce light.Isn't it?What I wanted is 'Is light a continuous/discontinuous flow of quanta?'
 
The flow is discontinuous. The discontinuous flow manifests itself as quantum noise when attempting to detect weak light sources.

Claude.
 

Thread 'Reflections at the source point of a transmission line'

I was using the Smith chart to determine the input impedance of a transmission line that has a reflection from the load. One can do this if one knows the characteristic impedance Zo, the degree of mismatch of the load ZL and the length of the transmission line in wavelengths. However, my question is: Consider the input impedance of a wave which appears back at the source after reflection from the load and has traveled for some fraction of a wavelength. The impedance of this wave as it...
View full post »

Similar threads

I Charge movement relative to magnetic field frame dependence/invariance
Replies
5
Views
932
B Magnetic Fields and Particle Movement: How Do Magnets Affect Electrons?
Replies
1
Views
2K
Waveform produced by a collapsing magnetic field
Replies
32
Views
2K
I Induced electric fields and induced magnetic fields confusion
Replies
9
Views
3K
I Geometry of Magnetic field lines as they approach a magnet pole?
Replies
28
Views
3K
B Force Exerted on a Conductor by a Homogeneous Magnetic Field
Replies
1
Views
1K
B Magnetic field and generator power output
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Does Diamagnetism Occur Even in a Constant Magnetic Field?
Replies
7
Views
2K
I Hall effect -- is it always applicable?
Replies
7
Views
2K
B Magnetic field produced by an electric current
Replies
5
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top