Beam splitters are popular optical devices which can be used to divide incident optical energy into reflected and transmitted beam paths. The three general types of beam splitters are:

• Cube beam splitters
• Plate beam splitters
• Pellicle beam splitters

Beam splitters divide energy into the reflecting and transmitting paths based on various factors including:

• Angle of incidence
• Polarization state
• Wavelength

Each of these types of beam splitters can be modeled in a variety of ways in ZEMAX in both sequential and non-sequential mode. The Knowledge Base article “How to Model a Beam Splitter in Sequential ZEMAX” demonstrates how to model a generic cube beam splitter in sequential mode.

This article demonstrates how to model a dichroic (i.e. wavelength-dependent) plate beam splitter in non-sequential mode.

Dichroic coatings are easily modeled in ZEMAX using table coatings. This article assumes that you are already familiar with the basics of modeling ideal coatings in ZEMAX. If you are not, take a look at the Knowledge Base article “How To Model A Partially Reflective and Partially Scattering Surface” before proceeding.