3 ms·

> Polarized light usually oscillates in a fixed plane, but that plane can sometimes rotate, so light travels along a twisting helix. wait what? they can bend l

• Sniffnoy 4y ago
  The text here would appear to be confusing about what circular polarization means. Circular (or more generally, elliptical) polarization doesn't mean the light doesn't travel in a straight line. Rather it means that the oscillations in the electrical (or equivalently, magnetic) field that the light consists of rotate around the axis that is the light's direction of travel, rather than staying in one fixed plane. The direction of travel stays constant though. You might want to see the Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_polarization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_polarization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliptical_polarization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliptical_polarization One way to think about this is to pick x and y directions perpendicular to the light's path of travel, and break down the light's oscillations into x and y components. Linear polarization occurs when these components are in phase with each other, and elliptical polarization occurs when they're not. When they're perfectly one quarter turn out of phase, you get circular polarization.
  • swyx 4y ago
    ahh this makes sense. i was thinking of light as a stream of particles but this is about light-as-a-wave
• deleted 4y ago
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• cultofmetatron 4y ago
  its easy to make light follow a bend. thats how fiber optic cables work
  • swyx 4y ago
    except theres nothing to bounce off of