Polarization

Polarization describes the orientation and time variation of the electric field vector of an electromagnetic wave as it propagates through space. In satellite communications, common forms of polarization include linear (horizontal or vertical), circular (right-hand or left-hand), and elliptical polarization.

Polarization is used to improve spectrum efficiency and reduce interference by allowing the same frequency band to be reused with orthogonal polarizations. Proper alignment between the transmit and receive antenna polarizations is essential to minimize polarization mismatch losses, while propagation effects such as rain, ionospheric rotation, and antenna imperfections can cause depolarization and degrade link performance.