Variable-reflectance thin-film polarization-independent beam splitters for 0.6328- and 10.6-microm laser light

Truly polarization-independent beam splitters for 0.6328- and 10.6-microm (He-Ne and CO(2)) laser radiation are designed using single-layer-coated (Cleartran) ZnS and Ge prisms. These devices are found to be reasonably achromatic, their reflectance (beam-splitting ratio) can be varied over a wide range with little accompanying polarization error, and they are tolerent to small film-thickness and film refractive-index errors.