There are different types of beam splitters, including cube beam splitters, plate beam splitters, and pellicle beam splitters. Cube beam splitters consist of two right-angle prisms cemented together, with a partially reflective coating on the hypotenuse surface. Plate beam splitters are made from a glass plate with a partially reflective coating. Pellicle beam splitters use a thin film of partially reflective material stretched across a frame.
The properties of a beam splitter, such as the reflectivity and transmissivity of the coating, can be tailored to specific requirements. For example, a 50/50 beam splitter reflects and transmits equal amounts of light, while a 70/30 beam splitter reflects 70% of the light and transmits 30%.