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I know that the direction of propagation of the wave(light) is perpendicular to the direction of electric and magnetic field in the situation of plane waves. And I want to know the relation between the direction of propagation and field in the situation of natural light.

Wang Yun
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  • I'm not sure what you are asking. What is "the direction of the electromagnetic field"? If you're asking whether the direction in which light travels is perpendicular to the magnetic and electric fields making up the wave, then yes, that's what the Poynting vector tells you - EM waves are transversal waves. – ACuriousMind Nov 22 '15 at 15:22
  • @ACuriousMind I edited the question again – Wang Yun Nov 23 '15 at 00:00

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Your text is rather muddled, but to answer the question: the Poynting vector is normally in the direction of propagation, which is to say the E and B fields are perpendicular to the direction of prop. This is always true in a vacuum, but it turns out that in various materials, the Poynting vector can be off-axis.

Carl Witthoft
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