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Nonpolarizing beamsplitter

  • US 5,808,798 A
  • Filed: 03/27/1996
  • Issued: 09/15/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A nonpolarizing beamsplitter, comprising a multilayered stack having two major surfaces, the multilayered stack comprising alternating layers of a first material and a second material, wherein each of the layers has an x-direction and a y-direction forming an x-y plane, and a z-direction perpendicular to the x-y plane, wherein the first material layers have an index of refraction in the x-y plane, n1(x,y) and an index of refraction in the z-direction n1(z), wherein the first material layers are uniaxially birefringent such that n1(x,y) -n1(z) ≧

  • 0.05, wherein the second material layers have an index of refraction in the x-y plane, n2(x,y), and an index of refraction in the z-direction, n2(z), wherein n1(x,y) >

    n2(x,y) and n1(z) ≦

    n2(z), such that for an incident beam of light striking a major surface of the beamsplitter at any angle of incidence θ

    within a range of angle of incidence, the incident beam having a useful bandwidth, a p-polarized component and an s-polarized component, the beamsplitter exhibits an average reflectivity Rp for the p-polarized component of the incident beam and an average reflectivity Rs for the s-polarized component of the incident beam, wherein Rp and Rs differ by less than 25%.

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