Development of automated alignment techniques for coupling of fiber optic components

This paper presents the automated alignment techniques for coupling of fiber optic components (e.g., fiber-to-fiber). Common alignment devices are often operated manually, which requires well-trained operators working and tuning on sub-micron scale stages and is hence time-consuming and costly. Recently there have been more and more automated couplers brought onto the market. However, most of them employ fixed paths/patterns for light detection until optimal alignment is reached, which can further be improved for shorter time spent and better coupling efficiency. Therefore, four intelligent algorithms are presented and compared in this paper. Simulation and experimental studies are both conducted, and the results show that some algorithms developed are capable of accomplishing fast alignment and high optical coupling efficiency.