A beamsplitter is a device designed to either divide or combine light, depending on its intended use. It operates by splitting incoming light into one or two beams, with one or more beams passing through the optical element and one or more beams being redirected at an angle away. A beam splitter or beamsplitter is an optical device that splits a beam of light into a transmitted and a reflected beam. It is a crucial part of many optical experimental and measurement systems, such as interferometers, also finding widespread application in fibre optic telecommunications. Beamsplitters are often classified according to their construction: cube or plate. Non-polarizing beamsplitters are specified by their splitting ratio, i. We are looking at the beam splitter from the top.
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