Student's

Sheet
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Polarisation of microwaves (Item No.: P2460201)

Curricular Relevance

Subtopic:
Topic: Maxwell's Equations, Experiment:
Area of Expertise: Education Level:
Electricity and Magnetism, Polarisation of
Physics University
Magnetism Electromagnetic microwaves
Waves

Difficulty Preparation Time Execution Time Recommended Group Size

Intermediate 20 Minutes 10 Minutes 1 Student

Additional Requirements: Experiment Variations:

Adhesive tape

Keywords:

Microwaves, electromagnetic waves, transverse waves, polarisation, Malus' law

Overview

Introduction
Electromagnetic waves impinge on a grating whose transmissivity depends on the rotation plane of the waves.

Fig. 1: Experiment set-up

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Equipment

Position No. Material Order No. Quantity

Microwave set: 11742-93 1
1 Microwave control unit (1)
2 Microwave receiver (1)
3 Microwave transmitter (1)
5 Angle scale (1)
6 Meter rule (1)
11 Grating (1)
Additionally required:
14 Multi-range meter, analogue 07028-01 1
15 Connecting cord, 32 A, 750 mm, red 07362-01 1
16 Connecting cord, 32 A, 750 mm, blue 07362-04 1
17 Geometry Set Square 09937-10 1

Overview of the parts of the microwave set

Tasks
Measure the intensity of the microwave radiation behind a polarisation grating as a function of the angle.

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D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com
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Theory
Electromagnetic waves, i.e. also microwaves, can be described by an electric part, a magnetic part, and their respective
directions of propagation, which are perpendicular to one another (see Fig. 2).The direction of propagation is described by the
wave vector .

Fig. 2: Electromagnetic wave (schematic representation)

The direction of the oscillation is known as the polarisation. A distinction is made between linear polarisation in which the
oscillation planes do not change, and circulation polarisation in which the respective oscillation plane rotates.

Fig. 3: Projections of the electric field vector

When a polarised wave impinges on a grating, this grating is either transmissive, non-transmissive, or partially transmissive,
depending on the direction of polarisation. Looking at the projection of the electric field vector in the direction of the grating (see
Fig. 3), there is the transmitted part E( ), depending on the angle under which the polarised waves impinge on the grating.

(1)

An object that is transmissive with regard to electromagnetic waves depending on the angular alignment, is referred to as a
polariser. Actually, the diode that is used for the experiment acts as a second polariser, which means that a second projection in
the direction of reception of the diode must also be taken into consideration.
This is why the following applies to the measured intensity I( ):

(2)

This relationship is known as "Malus' law". (The amplitudes are incorporated in the intensity measurement in a square
manner.)

For a better understanding, the following analogy from the field of mechanics should be taken into consideration: If a rope is fed
through a grating and tensed, and if then one of the ends of the rope is caused to oscillate, the wave will either pass through the
grating or be blocked, depending on the direction of excitation.

Please note: Polarisation exists solely for transverse waves (oscillation perpendicular to the direction of propagation).
Longitudinal waves (oscillation parallel to the direction of propagation), e.g. like in the case of sound propagating in the air,
cannot be polarised.

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com
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Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com
Student's Sheet
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Set-up and Procedure

First part – rotation of the transmitter

Set the experiment up as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4: Experiment set-up

Fasten the set square to the back of the microwave transmitter by way of some adhesive tape so that the middle of the long
edge of the triangle ("0" mark) is located on the centre of rotation of the transmitter around the axis of the housing and that the
tip of the triangle (90°) points upwards (see Fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Alignment of the set square on the transmitter

Connect the microwave transmitter and receiver to their associated sockets of the control unit (see Fig. 6). Connect the multi-
range meter to the voltmeter output of the control unit and select the 3 V measuring range (direct voltage). The loudspeaker
and internal or external modulation are not required for this experiment.

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D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com
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Fig. 6: Connectors and settings of the control unit

Install the grating in the centre of rotation of the angle scale (vertical alignment of the grating bars) and align the mark of the
scale to 180°. Combine the angle scale and meter rule by way of the screw on the back of the angle scale and the recess in the
meter rule. Turn the meter rule in order to align the reference mark (arrow) on the angle scale with the one of the meter rule so
that they coincide (see Fig. 7). Position the set-up on your experiment surface so that you can read the scale of the meter rule
without any parallax.

Fig. 7: Set-up and alignment of the angle scale and meter rule

Position the transmitter on the fixed rule of the angle scale at 285 mm (the opening of the housing is located at a distance of
15 cm). Position the receiver opposite the transmitter at approximately 190 mm so that the distance between the opening of the
receiver and the grating is approximately 6.5 cm (see Fig. 8).

Fig. 8: Experiment set-up (view from the side and from above)

If necessary, secure the angle scale and/or the transmitter and/or the receiver on the experiment surface by way of some
adhesive tape.
Switch the microwave transmitter on by connecting the control unit to the mains power supply. Maximise the voltmeter reading
by varying the amplitude of the transmitter (amplitude controller) and the position of the transmitter and receiver along the
optical axis.
Rotate the transmitter completely around its axis in order to ensure that the measuring range is used to the fullest possible

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extent without exceeding it. Correct the amplitude if necessary.

Fig. 9: Angular adjustment of the transmitter by way of the

alignment with the grating (here: 90°)

Vary the angle of the transmitter in steps of 10° and measure the receiver signal by way of the voltmeter. Use the angle scale of
the set square for the angular adjustment by aiming the grating through the set square and by using the corresponding angle
mark for the perpendicular alignment (see Fig. 9).

Note
During the experiment, do not stand in the direct vicinity of the beam path when reading the voltmeter values. The human body
reflects microwaves so that the measurement result may be invalidated. The same applies to all types of metallic objects. If
several experiments are performed simultaneously in a laboratory, ensure sufficient distance between the experiment stations in
order to avoid interference signals caused by reflected radiation and/or scattered radiation from the other set-ups. Stay in the
direct vicinity of the set-up only for adjusting the angle, but not for reading the voltmeter.

Second part – rotation of the grating

Return the transmitters to its normal operating position (no rotation). Remove the polarisation grating from its holder and turn it
manually in the beam. Observe the voltmeter while doing so. You can switch on the internal modulation and internal loudspeaker
for better demonstration.

Fig. 10: Rotation of the grating (example: 45°)

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Third part – relative alignment of the transmitter and receiver

Remove the grating completely from the beam path. Then, turn the transmitter and afterwards the receiver. Observe the reading
of the voltmeter as a function of the relative alignment of the transmitter and receiver with regard to one another (see Fig. 11).

Fig. 11: Relative alignment of the transmitter and receiver (examples)

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Evaluation and results

Demonstrate the dependence of the intensity on the angle of the polarisation grating by plotting the voltage (which is
proportional to the intensity) as a function of the angle (see Fig. 12). Correct the angle by 90° so that all of the angles are
stated with regard to the vertical axis. Verify Malus' law by plotting the voltage as a function of so that a linear
relationship results.

in °
in V

0 −90 0.3 0.000

10 −80 0.65 0.030

20 −70 1.1 0.117

30 −60 1.5 0.250

40 −50 1.975 0.413

50 −40 2.175 0.587

60 −30 2.425 0.750

70 −20 2.575 0.883

80 −10 2.75 0.970

90 0 2.8 1.000

100 10 2.75 0.970

110 20 2.6 0.883

120 30 2.2 0.750

130 40 1.8 0.587

140 50 1.5 0.413

150 60 1.05 0.250

160 70 0.6 0.117

170 80 0.35 0.030

180 90 0.275 0.000

190 100 0.55 0.030

200 110 1.1 0.117

210 120 1.7 0.250

220 130 2.025 0.413

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230 140 2.3 0.587

240 150 2.55 0.750

250 160 2.725 0.883

260 170 2.85 0.970

270 180 2.9 1.000

280 190 2.825 0.970

290 200 2.6 0.883

300 210 2.3 0.750

310 220 1.825 0.587

320 230 1.4 0.413

330 240 0.9 0.250

340 250 0.55 0.117

350 260 0.325 0.030

360 270 0.3 0.000

Fig. 12: The intensity as a function of the (corrected) angle and Malus' law

The dependence of the intensity on the angle at which the radiation impinges on the grating is confirmed within the scope of the
measurement accuracy (Malus' law). The dependence of the intensity on the relative alignment of the transmitter and receiver
has also been demonstrated.

The deviations from the expected dependence in accordance with Malus are due to the inaccuracy of the angular adjustment
(parallax), but they may also be due to a non-ideal diode characteristic of the receiver. A potential invalidation of the
measurement due to reflections in the environment should also be taken into consideration as a source of error in addition to
voltmeter reading errors.

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com