Depolarization effect of different propagation mechanisms around buildings

Depolarization effect, which can randomize the polarization state of signal, exerts a great impact on the polarization diversity reception. In this paper, the depolarizing mechanisms around buildings are analyzed using the geometrical optics (GO) theory and geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD), and the impacts of reflection and diffraction on depolarization are simulated with ray-tracing method. The results indicate that the depolarization happens and increases with reduction of the angle between incident direction and vertical direction when electromagnetic waves are reflected by vertical walls. In addition, the diffraction at horizontal corners of buildings will result in depolarization of the waves.