Overview of Beamsplitter Technology
A beamsplitter is also known as a power splitter and is a device that
is designed to split a light beam into multiple beams. Beamsplitters are
made from two triangular glass prisms that are glued together and form a
cube which contains a layer of resin. The layer allows half of the light
to be reflected while the other half is transmitted through the unit.
The different beams may not contain the same optical power and there are
different types of beamsplitters that serve different purposes which
include beamsplitter mirrors and beamsplitter glass which is used for
teleprompters.
A beamsplitter is also capable of combining two different light beams by
being placed in the middle of the two paths of light at a specified
angle to the two different beams of light. This is known as a
beamsplitter combiner and is typically used for broadband data
communications and other purposes.
Different Types of Beamsplitter Technology
Beamsplitters are designed in a variety of different ways to serve
different requirements for cameras, projectors, beamsplitters mirrors,
and beamsplitter glass. The following information will provide you with
an overview of the different types of beamsplitter technology.
Dielectric Mirrors: A dielectric mirror is made with two thin layers
of transparent optical materials which are usually referred to as
dielectric coatings. The thin coating allows the mirror to project a
high reflective quality that is unlike a conventional silver mirror that
is used in your household.
Unlike conventional silver mirrors dielectric mirrors are transparent to
visible light and will reflect colors depending on the angle in which
you view it. This effect is created by splitting the beams of light via
a specific splitting ratio which is achieved through different
dielectric coating designs; hence the name beamsplitter mirror is used
for a dielectric mirror.
Dichroic Mirrors: A dichroic mirror is a type of beamsplitter mirror
that is often used with microscope technology. A dichroic mirror is used
to separate the light emission in different light paths. The mirror is
set to a wavelength value which is known as a transition wavelength
value. The light is then reflected below the value and then transmits
wavelengths above the value thus creating a two color mirror which is a
key element in a microscope.
Teleprompter Mirrors: Teleprompter mirrors are essentially beamsplitter glass in which one side of the mirror is coated while the
other side contains an antireflective coating. The mirror glass provides
a higher reflective quality than acrylic and the beams of light are
split based on a set of defined ratios. A beamsplitter glass mirror is
basically a one-way mirror that is placed at an angle and is generally
surrounded by a black shroud so the glass appears to be a mirror when
you view the teleprompter.
Interferometers: An interferometer is a device that can take an input
beam of light and then split it into two separate beams through the use
of a beamsplitter mirror. When the beams are exposed to external factors
the interferometer remixes the beams of light through the use of another
beamsplitter creating a resulting beam that is used for measurement.
Interferometers work through the use of fiber-optic beamplitters that
are made with fusion combining fibers that can have one input port and
one or multiple output ports. The splitting ratio depends upon the
wavelength of the input port. A fiber-optic beamsplitter with multiple
output ports is often used for cable television infrastructure.
Beamsplitter Cubes: Beamsplitter cubes are used to transmit light
beams and carry different images for cameras and projectors. A beamsplitter cube contains two triangular glass prisms which are glued
together and the type of surfacing on the cube will depend upon the type
of output beam that occurs as the result of the coating. For example, a
transparent resin coating will have a different power splitting ratio
than a transparent cement coating. Multilayer coating will produce an
entirely different effect altogether.
Half-Silvered Mirrors: Half-silvered mirrors are also known as semi
reflective mirrors because only a percentage of light is reflected while
the remainder of the light is allow to pass through the mirror. This
type of beamsplitter mirror is used with a single-lens reflex camera
that utilizes a moving mirror system. The splitting ratio of the half
silvered mirror allows the photographer to view the image that will be
captured on the digital imaging system.
There is also a variety of other types of beamsplitter technology which
includes pellicles that are often used in camera technology, micro-optic
beamsplitters which create multiple output beams, and waveguide
beamsplitters which are used with integrated optics. The main property
of beamsplitter technology is the splitting ratio that provides specific
functions depending upon the different wavelengths and polarization.