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Polarization modulators have a broad range of applications in optics. Theacceptance angle of a free-space polarization modulator is crucial for manyapplications. Polarization modulators that can achieve a wide acceptance angleare constructed by attaching a piezoelectric transducer to an isotropicmaterial, and utilize a resonant transverse interaction between light andacoustic waves. Since their demonstration in the 1960s, the design of thesemodulators has essentially remained the same with minor improvements in thefollowing decades. In this work, we show that a suitable single crystal withthe correct crystal orientation, functioning as both the piezoelectrictransducer and the acousto-optic interaction medium, could be used forconstructing a highly efficient free-space resonant polarization modulatoroperating at megahertz frequencies and exhibiting a wide acceptance angle. Weconstruct the modulator using gallium arsenide, an optically isotropic andpiezoelectric crystal, and demonstrate polarization modulation at 6 MHz with aninput aperture of 1 cm in diameter, acceptance angle reaching $\pm30^\circ$,and modulation efficiency exceeding 50%. Compared to state-of-the-art resonantphotoelastic modulators, the modulator reported in this work exhibits greaterthan 50 fold improvement in modulation frequency for the same input aperture,while simultaneously reducing the thickness by approximately a factor of 80.Increasing the modulation frequency of photoelastic modulators from thekilohertz to the megahertz regime and substantially reducing their thicknesslead to significant performance improvements for various use cases. Thistechnological advancement also creates opportunities for utilizing thesedevices in new applications.

Optically isotropic longitudinal piezoelectric resonant photoelastic modulator for wide angle polarization modulation at megahertz frequencies