Universal cushion support for photoelastic modulator

An apparatus comprising:

• an elastically deformable optical element holder defining an interior aperture sized to receive an optical element having a plurality of holder contact surfaces, the optical element holder including a plurality of receiving portions located on interior-facing side walls and corresponding to respective ones of the holder contact surfaces of the optical element, each receiving portion being displaceable through deformation of the optical element holder so that the optical element is insertable in the interior aperture so as to be cushionably supported in a predetermined position with the receiving portions in contact with the respective holder contact surfaces;
• wherein the optical element holder comprises a plurality of elastically deformable support members situated to form voids between adjacent support members so as to define one or more in-fill cross-sectional patterns;
• wherein a variation in the in-fill cross-sectional pattern between the one or more in-fill patterns is associated with a variation in driving efficiency of the optical element.

An apparatus comprising:

• an elastically deformable optical element holder defining an interior aperture sized to receive an optical element having a plurality of holder contact surfaces, the optical element holder including a plurality of receiving portions located on interior-facing side walls and corresponding to respective ones of the holder contact surfaces of the optical element, each receiving portion being displaceable through deformation of the optical element holder so that the optical element is insertable in the interior aperture so as to be cushionably supported in a predetermined position with the receiving portions in contact with the respective holder contact surfaces;
• wherein the optical element holder includes a closed bottom member extending around the optical element holder and an open top member defining an opening that provides access for insertion and attachment of a transducer to a selected surface of the optical element facing the opening and that allows deformation of the top member in an outward direction from the center of the optical element holder and corresponding displacement of the receiving portions so that the optical element can be inserted in the aperture to be cushionably supported by the optical element holder.

An apparatus comprising:

• an elastically deformable optical element holder defining an interior aperture sized to receive an optical element having a plurality of holder contact surfaces, the optical element holder including a plurality of receiving portions located on interior-facing side walls and corresponding to respective ones of the holder contact surfaces of the optical element, each receiving portion being displaceable through deformation of the optical element holder so that the optical element is insertable in the interior aperture so as to be cushionably supported in a predetermined position with the receiving portions in contact with the respective holder contact surfaces;
• and
• a rigid housing situated to receive the optical element holder, the rigid housing including a plurality of interior support sidewalls defining a housing interior region and one or more distances between at least one surface of the optical element and at least one of the interior support sidewalls that is associated with an out-of-phase relationship with a driving oscillation frequency of the optical element.

A method, comprising:

• inserting a photoelastic modulator optical element, having a plurality of holder contact surfaces, in an aperture of an elastically deformable optical element holder flexurally resilient throughout the holder having a plurality of receiving portions adjacent to the aperture and respectively corresponding to the holder contact surfaces, the inserting including elastically displacing at least one of the receiving portions so that the receiving portions contact the respective holder contact surfaces and the optical element is cushionably supported and held by the elastically deformable optical element holder in a predetermined position while allowing the optical element to be vibratably driven to achieve a photoelastic effect.