What are some advantages of using one cube beamsplitter type compared to another?

Edmund Optics® offers three main types of cube beamsplitters: polarizing, non-polarizing, and lateral displacement. Polarizing cube beamsplitters divide unpolarized light into two orthogonally polarized beams. They are typically used in laser beam separation/combination applications, laser mirrors for beam steering, and semiconductor and photonics instrumentation. Non-polarizing cube beamsplitters divide light evenly, regardless of polarization. They are used in laser mirrors for beam steering, optical interferometry, and biomedical instrumentation. Lateral displacement beamsplitters split incident light beams into two displaced, parallel beams; they can be thought of as a sub-type of polarizing cube beamsplitters since the displaced beam is S-polarized while the other is P-polarized.

Polarizing	Non-Polarizing	Lateral Displacement