Patent ID: 7869127

Claim:
An optical element, comprising: a substantially transmissive medium; said substantially transmissive medium having a first surface substantially parallel to a second surface; a first coating disposed at a first location on said first surface said first coating being partially reflective with respect to an incident beam having a single first wavelength and a single polarization; and a second coating disposed at a second location on said second surface said second coating being substantially fully reflective with respect to light of said first wavelength; wherein said first surface includes a third location that is substantially devoid of said first coating; wherein said element is configured such that a first portion of said beam incident on said first surface at said first location with a Brewster angle geometry is transmitted through said medium to said second location and is fully reflected by said second coating to said third location of said first surface such that a first output beam exits said medium with a Brewster angle geometry, and a second portion of said beam incident on said first surface at said first location is reflected to form a second output beam, said first and second output beams each having said first wavelength and being substantially parallel, said first and second beams further having first and second powers, wherein the sum of said first and second powers is substantially equal to an power of said incident beam.