Circular polarization
![The electric field vectors of a traveling circularly polarized electromagnetic wave.](/Images/godic/202501/04/Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_Right.Handed.Animation.305x190.255Colors1645.gif")
![Right-handed/clockwise circularly polarized light displayed with and without the use of components. This would be considered left-handed/counter-clockwise circularly polarized if defined from the point of view of the source rather than the receiver. Refer to the below convention section.[1]](/Images/godic/202501/04/Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_Without.Components_Right.Handed.svg1645.png")
![](/Images/godic/202501/04/Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_With.Components_Right.Handed.svg1645.png")
![Left-handed/counter-clockwise circularly polarized light displayed with and without the use of components. This would be considered right-handed/clockwise circularly polarized if defined from the point of view of the source rather than the receiver.](/Images/godic/202501/04/Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_Without.Components_Left.Handed.svg1645.png")
In electrodynamics, circular polarization of an electromagnetic wave is a polarization in which the electric field of the passing wave does not change strength but only changes direction in a rotary manner.
In electrodynamics the strength and direction of an electric field is defined by what is called an electric field vector. In the case of a circularly polarized wave, as seen in the accompanying animation, the tip of the electric field vector, at a given point in space, describes a circle as time progresses. If the wave is frozen in time, the electric field vector of the wave describes a helix along the direction of propagation.