Beam splitters are where several catalogue families meet. The prism group supplies a documented stock high-reflective right-angle prism with a dielectric coating, sold explicitly as a light splitter prism, and it also lists a cube-prism family. The filter group supplies wavelength-selective dichroic mirrors. No polarising beam splitter listing is recorded in the source catalogue, so polarisation behaviour must be treated as an enquiry requirement rather than a documented product claim.
Choosing the form is an engineering decision with three branches. Plate splitters are light and introduce a beam displacement and ghost reflections that the design must absorb. Cube splitters are alignment-stable and compact. Polarising splitters separate the beam by polarisation state rather than by ratio, serving interferometers, laser cavities and polarisation instruments. Only the right-angle splitter prism has a documented product basis in the table below; the other rows state plainly what is not recorded, so for a cube, plate or polarising requirement, state the behaviour and ask for availability and specification confirmation before dimensions are treated as quotable.
Documented Splitter Range
| Form | Documented basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Right-angle splitter prism | Stock listing, dielectric high-reflective coating | MOQ 1 piece |
| Cube splitters | No cube splitter listing recorded — the prism group records a cube-prism family only | Enquiry requirement; construction, ratio and availability confirmed before quoting |
| Plate splitters | No specific plate splitter listing recorded | Enquiry requirement; confirm construction and availability |
| Polarising splitters | No specific listing recorded | Enquiry requirement only — do not assume availability |
| Dichroic splitters | Dichroic mirror family in the filter group | Splits by wavelength — see dichroic mirrors page |
Specifying a Beam Splitter
Split ratio (or polarisation behaviour), wavelength band, form factor and size, in that order. A 50/50 cube for a visible interferometer and a polarising cube for a laser cavity are different parts that happen to share an outline — state the behaviour first in the enquiry. For wavelength-based splitting, go directly to the dichroic mirrors page; for the Cube group and the other prism families, the prisms overview sets out what the catalogue records for each family and the scope of those records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order?
1 piece on the documented stock right-angle splitter prism; other forms are quoted per specification.
Plate or cube — which should I choose?
Cube for alignment stability in instruments; plate where weight dominates and the design can absorb beam displacement and ghosts.
Can a splitter work by polarisation instead of ratio?
No polarising splitter listing is recorded in the source catalogue. State the polarisation behaviour you need; availability and specification must be confirmed in the quotation.
Ghosts, Displacement and Other Plate Realities
Plate splitters deserve their caveats in writing because a plate bought on price alone is regretted on physics. A plate in a converging beam introduces aberrations a cube avoids; its second surface returns a faint displaced ghost of the split beam unless it is wedged or coated against it; and it displaces the transmitted beam sideways by an amount that depends on its thickness and angle. None of these is disqualifying — plate splitters serve excellently in collimated paths — but all three belong in the design review before the order, not in the failure analysis after it. The checklist is short: is the beam collimated at the splitter, can the layout absorb the displacement, and does a ghost reflection land anywhere that matters? If any answer is no, a cube form is the usual step up in general practice — but no cube splitter listing is recorded in this catalogue, so that route begins with an enquiry to confirm availability and specification; the documented part on this page is the right-angle splitter prism.
Request a Quotation
Tell us the component, material, dimensions and coating you need. Pricing and lead time for your specification are confirmed in the written quotation.