Beamsplitters

What is a Beamsplitter?

The primary function of a beamsplitter is to separate a single beam of light into two parts, one reflected and one transmitted. The incident light is split at the surface which is usually set at some angle so the reflected and transmitted beams are separated. Any metal layer that forms a partially reflective mirror can serve as a beamsplitter, and many under the “plate” category are no more sophisticated than that.

The two beams that split from the original incident light will normally have constant values over a specified wavelength range. These are called neutral beamsplitters. Other types separate colors with the transmitted and reflected beams displaying different parts of the visible spectrum or split the visible region from the infrared as is done with hot and cold mirrors. Beamsplitters also affect the polarization of the incident light and this property can be used to make effective polarizers.

Importance of Quality Assurance

To meet the challenging application requirements in aerospace, defense, and healthcare they must undergo a number of critical testing procedures ranging from atomic force and optical microscopy to diffraction grating efficiency measurements and accelerated environmental testing. Dynasil’s manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001:2015 certified to ensure that our procedures and products meet the highest quality and performance standards.