An apparatus and method herein efficiently couple spatial light to optical fiber light for achieving stability of an optical axis without a position sensor. The basic concept of the method includes: first, obtaining, according to a theoretical coupling efficiency model, a model parameter by means of fitting calculation; second, using a four-point tracking algorithm to calculate an optical fiber nutation trajectory according to the optical fiber nutation principle; and finally, using the nutation trajectory to calculate the position deviation of a central point. The optical axis is ensured to be stable by correcting the position deviation, and the high coupling efficiency remains. The method is used for the stability of the optical axis in a space coherent laser communication DPSK link. The high efficiency coupling is a key technology of long-distance, high bit rate transmission in space laser communication, and is significant in the development of inter-satellite optical communications.

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 interposer PIC structure having a fanout waveguide structure is described for which the patterned planar waveguides of the fanout waveguide structure is formed from a same hard mask patterning step comprising a patterned area for a lateral alignment aid used to align the linearly configured cores of a multicore fiber with a terminal end of the fanout waveguide structure. Areas of the same patterned hard mask may optionally include one or more fiducials and one or more alignment pillars for aligning mounted devices onto the PIC structure. Interposer PIC assemblies are described comprising the interposer PIC structure, multicore fibers having linearly configured arrays of cores, and devices mounted or otherwise formed on the interposer PIC structure. Methods of forming the interposer PIC structures and assemblies are also disclosed. The linearly configured cores of a multicore fiber are aligned in interposer PIC assemblies with a fanout waveguide structure formed from the planar waveguide layer on an interposer PIC structure to facilitate optical signal transfer between the cores of the multicore fiber and planar waveguides formed on the interposer and subsequently to devices mounted on the interposer and coupled to the patterned planar waveguides on the interposer.

Aspects for active alignment for assembling optical imaging systems are described herein. As an example, the aspects may include aligning an optical detector with an optical component. The optical component is configured to alter a direction of one or more light beams emitted from an image displayed by an optical engine. The aspects may further include detecting, by the optical detector, a virtual image generated by the one or more light beams emitted by the optical engine; and adjusting, by a multi-axis controller, an optical path of the one or more light beams based on one or more parameters of the virtual image collected by the optical detector.

An optical pick and place machine that includes a self-calibrating optical controller for error feedback based optical placement of optical components using active alignment is described. The optical controller can include a loopback mode to generate a baseline value of light generated by a light source and measured by a photodetector within the optical controller. The optical controller can further include an active alignment mode in which the light is coupled from the pick and place machine to the optical device on which the component is placed. The optical coupling of the placed component can be evaluated against the baseline value to ensure that the optical coupling is within specification (e.g., within a prespecified range).

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.

A method of assembling an optical device including: providing a photonic integrated circuit including a plurality of vertical-coupling elements disposed along a main surface of the photonic integrated circuit; attaching an optical subassembly to the photonic integrated circuit; removably connecting a fiber connector to a ferrule frame, in which the fiber connector is attached to an array of optical fibers; aligning the ferrule frame to the optical subassembly using an active alignment process; and securely connecting the ferrule frame to the optical subassembly after the active alignment process.

A method, system, and computer program product for determining a core-to-ferrule offset of a ferrule for a fiber optic connector. A reference ferrule is physically aligned with a core imager by positioning the reference ferrule so that edges of the reference ferrule in a plurality of profile images are aligned with fiducial markers in the images. The reference ferrule is incrementally rotated about its longitudinal center access, a core image captured at each rotational angle, and a reference core-to-ferrule offset determined based on the core images. A test ferrule is physically aligned with the core imager by positioning the test ferrule so that edges of the test ferule are aligned with the edges of the reference ferrule in a plurality of profile images. The core-to-ferrule offset of the test ferrule is then determined based on an offset between the test and reference cores in a composite core image.

Arrays of fiber pigtails can be used to project and receive light. Unfortunately, most fiber pigtail arrays are not aligned well enough for coherently combining different optical beams. This imprecision stems in part from misalignment between the optical fiber and the endcap spliced to the end of the optical fiber. The endcap is often polished, curved, or patterned, causing the light emitted by the endcapped fiber to refract or diffract as it exits the endcap. This refraction or diffraction shifts the apparent position of the beam waist from its actual position. Measuring this virtual beam waist position before and after splicing the endcap to the fiber increases the absolute precision with which the fiber is aligned to the endcap. This increase in absolute precision reduces the deviation in virtual beam waist position among endcapped fibers, making it easier to produce arrays of endcapped fibers aligned precisely enough for coherent beam combining.

Various embodiments and method relating to an optical fiber curvature measurement system are described herein. The optical fiber curvature measurement system includes a controller and a rotation stage. The rotation stage includes a central axis, a first end, and a second end. The central axis extends from the first end to the second end of the rotation stage. The rotation stage includes an optical fiber channel extending from the first end of the rotation stage to the second end of the rotation stage. The rotation stage is operationally coupled with the controller and configured to rotate about the central axis of the rotation stage. An optical fiber may be positioned within the optical fiber channel. The optical fiber curvature measurement system also includes a light source positioned to emit light onto the optical fiber channel at an oblique angle from the central axis of the rotation stage.