Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have found widespread applications across biotechnology, medicine, communications, and consumer electronics. These are typically one-dimensional MEMS (e.g. rotation, linear translation on a single axis) or two-dimensional MEMS (e.g. linear translation in two directions in the plane of the MEMS). It would be beneficial therefore for designers of components, circuits, and systems to exploit MEMS elements that produce both out-of-plane and in-plane motion thereby allowing for novel two-dimensional and three-dimensional MEMS micropositioners.

A fiber optic test device is provided that includes a light source pigtailed with a first end of a non-bend insensitive multimode fiber (non-BIMMF). A second end of the non-BIMMF is fusion spliced to a first end of a reference grade bend insensitive multimode fiber (BIMMF). A reference grade optical fiber connector is attached to a second end of the BIMMF, which is coupled to a first end of a reference grade bulkhead adapter. The non-BIMMF is deformed so that a specific launch condition, such as encircled flux, is achieved at the first end of the BIMMF. A test reference cord, which contains a reference grade BIMMF having similar geometric properties as the BIMMF that is fusion spliced to the non-BIMMF, is attached to a second end of the bulkhead adapter. Modal transparency is achieved and the launch condition is maintained at the output of the test reference cord.

A structure for optically aligning an optical fiber to a protonic device and method of fabrication of same. The structure optically aligns an optical fiber to the protonic device using a lens between the two which is moveable by actuator heads. The lens is moveable by respective motive sources associated with the actuator heads.

An alignment apparatus and an alignment method that enables to align an optical device with a receptacle, where the optical device and the receptacle have respective axes tilted to each other. The method includes steps of: (1) obtaining a minimum pressure caused to the optical device from the receptacle as varying a rolling angle around the X-axis of the optical device but fixing the pitching angle around the Y-axis at a rotating angle around the Z-axis; (2) determining a rotating angle where thus obtained minimum pressure becomes the minimum; and (3) iterating those procedures until the rotating angle obtained as varying the rolling angle and another rotating angle obtained as varying the pitching angle substantially coincides to each other.

Described herein is a fibre positioning system (100) for positioning a tip (102) of an optical fibre (104). The system (100) includes a piezoelectric tube scanner (106) disposed along an optical axis (107). The piezoelectric tube scanner (106) has a first end (114) fixedly mounted with respect to a mounting structure (116), a hollow interior (118) for receiving the length of the optical fibre (104) and a second end (120) being freely able to bend in a lateral direction perpendicular to the optical axis (107) in response to one or more first actuation signals from a controller (122). A glass end cap (124) is fixedly mounted at the second end (120) of the piezoelectric tube scanner (106) and optically spliced to the tip (102) of the optical fibre (104) such that bending of the piezoelectric tube scanner (106) results in lateral movement of the tip (102) of the optical fibre (104) with respect to the optical axis (107).

A fiber plug facilitates optical coupling of a light-guiding fiber to a plug receptacle and includes a plug housing for receiving and locking parts of the fiber plug in position relative to one another. The plug housing has: a fiber inlet and a fiber bearing for the spatially fixed reception of the fiber; optically downstream of the fiber bearing along a beam path, an optical lens for collecting light exiting at an end face of the light-guiding fiber and for collimating the collected light; and a coupling surface with an output of the beam path and with a coupling structure for connection to a receptacle structure that is complementary to the coupling structure. An adjustable optical element is arranged optically downstream of the fiber bearing in the beam path and has a first component of a magnetic coupling consisting of two components and a first component of a kinematic coupling.

An optical ferrule has a different thermal expansion coefficient than a substrate to which a optical device is mounted, the ferrule optically coupling the device to one or more optical fibers. The optical ferrule includes and/or a cradle in which the ferrule is mounted include lateral and longitudinal engagement feature that ensure alignment with the optical device at an operating temperature, the ferrule expanding relative to the substrate when transitioning to the operating temperature.

An apparatus arranged for deflecting an optical component for alignment purposes of the optical component with a further optical component, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of adjacently placed elongate carriers, extending mutually parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction, wherein two adjacently placed elongate carriers have a spacing between them for receiving a first optical component such that the received optical component rests against two adjacently placed elongate carriers, wherein the two elongate carriers have slopes such that the spacing between the two adjacently placed elongate carriers is smaller at a bottom side compared to the spacing at a top side of the carriers, wherein the carriers comprise piezoelectric material configured to deflect the carriers in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by actuating the piezoelectric material.

Systems and methods described herein relate to the manufacture of optical elements and optical systems. An example method includes providing a first substrate that has a plurality of light-emitter devices disposed on a first surface. The method includes providing a second substrate that has a mounting surface defining a reference plane. The method includes forming a structure and an optical spacer on the mounting surface of the second substrate. The method additionally includes coupling the first and second substrates together such that the first surface of the first substrate faces the mounting surface of the second substrate at an angle with respect to the reference plane.

Devices and methods are disclosed for an optical component mounting system for supporting an optical component such as a laser. The mounting system comprises a first component comprising a first surface, a second component comprising a second surface facing the first surface, and adhesive between the first surface of the first component and the second surface of the second component, wherein the first component comprises at least three mounting pads extending from the first surface for contacting the second surface of the second component and providing direct support between the first component and the second component. The component comprising the mounting pads may be a lower mount, an upper mount such as an upper clamping mount, or a bonding pad or other component in the stack of components. A method of assembling the stack of components may comprise curing the adhesive at a temperature at or above an upper end of an expected temperature operating range for the optical component mounting system.