Antenna polarization characteristics and the method for its determination

Methods for measuring and representing the polarization characteristics of antennas with elliptic polarization are described. The characteristics of an elliptically polarized wave were determined measuring at least two field components and the phase difference between them. The polarization state is described by a tensor where the modulus and the phase determine the polarization characteristics. The tensor is represented by a complex plane where each point of the plane corresponds to one of the possible polarization states. Several measuring methods are reviewed including the measuring of linear components, the measuring of the circular components and the measuring of three amplitude rates. Interference and calibration problems related to those measurements are discussed.