beam splitter

American

noun

Optics, Photography.

a mirror or prism that divides a beam of light into two parts by reflecting a part of the beam, used in camera range finders.

beam splitter British

noun

a system that divides a beam of light, electrons, etc, into two or more paths

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of beam splitter

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

beam splitter

The first splits a laser beam in two by directing it through a beam splitter to both ends of the scale, where they are reflected by attached mirrors.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 29, 2023

Because of that key difference, as the beam splitter itself expands and contracts, the light detector would pick up a signal.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 15, 2021

Remove the second beam splitter and interference becomes impossible.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 27, 2017

Again, the delayed decision seems to reach back in time, defining how the photon behaved after it left the first beam splitter.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 27, 2017

But they made the choice only after the photon had passed through the beam splitter.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 6, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023