A gravitational field can cause a rotation of the polarisation vector of light. This phenomenon is known as the gravitational Faraday effect. We study the gravitational Faraday effect of linearly polarised light propagating in the gravitational field of a weak plane gravitational wave (GW) with “\(+\)", “\(\times \)", and elliptical polarisation modes. The corresponding gravitational Faraday rotation angle is proportional to the GW amplitude and to the squared distance traveled by the light and inversely proportional to the GW squared wavelength. The Faraday rotation is maximal if the light propagates along directions perpendicular to the GW propagation and tilted by \(\pi /4\) to the directions of its polarisation. There is no a gravitational Faraday rotation when light and a GW propagate along the same directions, or when light propagates along directions of a GW polarisation. Helicity of an elliptically polarised GW gives cubic order contribution to the Faraday rotation.

引力场可以引起光的偏振矢量的旋转。这种现象被称为引力法拉第效应。我们研究了线偏振光在具有“ \(+\) ”、“ \(\times\) ”和椭圆偏振模式的弱平面引力波(GW)的引力场中传播的引力法拉第效应。相应的引力法拉第旋转角与引力波振幅和光传播距离的平方成正比，与引力波波长平方成反比。如果光沿着垂直于引力波传播的方向传播并且相对于其偏振方向倾斜\(\pi /4\)，则法拉第旋转最大。当光和引力波沿相同方向传播时，或者当光沿引力波偏振方向传播时，不存在引力法拉第旋转。椭圆偏振引力波的螺旋度对法拉第旋转产生立方阶贡献。