Python depicting a helix via matplotlib and numpy

import numpy as np

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import Axes3D

n = 1000

fig = plt.figure()

ax = fig.add_subplot(111, projection='3d')

# Plot a helix along the x-axis

theta_max = 6*np.pi

# theta = np.linspace(0, theta_max, n)

theta = np.linspace(-theta_max,theta_max, n)

x = theta

z =  np.sin(theta)

y =  np.cos(theta)

ax.plot(x, y, z, 'b', lw=2)

# An line through the centre of the helix

ax.plot((-theta_max*1.2, theta_max * 1.2), (0,0), (0,0), color='g', lw=2)

# sin/cos components of the helix (e.g. electric and magnetic field

# components of a circularly-polarized electromagnetic wave

ax.plot(x, y, 0, color='r', lw=1, alpha=0.5)

ax.plot(x, [0]*n, z, color='m', lw=1, alpha=0.5)

# Remove axis planes, ticks and labels

# ax.set_axis_off()

plt.show()