Micromachined polarization beam splitters for the visible spectrum

Batch-processed polarization beam splitters (PBS) are built and characterized. PBS are important optical components used to separate the orthogonal TE and TM components of light. The devices are fabricated from thin-film, low-stress silicon nitride membranes and showed excellent performance. By stacking membranes and a triple-layer, PBS produce extinction ratios of 21 and 16 dB for reflected and transmitted light rays, respectively.