Advanced Fiber Alignment Engines For Photonic Packaging Automation

By Scott Jordan and Stefan Vorndran, PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.

As the fiber-optic industry picks up steam, process engineers enjoy more and better packaging automation options than ever

Background And History Of Fiber Alignment
In the earliest days of optical telecommunications more than two decades ago, the physical alignment of single-mode optical fibers, laser diodes, and early planar waveguide devices was a meticulous and frustrating task. Researchers and engineers spent countless hours hunched over coupling assemblies, adjusting micrometers and setscrews of manual fiber positioners to peak-up optical coupling for a short while, until drift processes necessitated re-alignment. It was a tedious and repetitive chore.