Laser supported fibre array alignment with individual fibre fine positioning

Author

van Zantvoort, J.H.C. ; Plukker, S. G L ; Dekkers, E.C.A. ; Khoe, G.D. ; Koonen, A.M.J. ; de Waardt, H.

Author_Institution

COBRA Res. Inst., Eindhoven Univ. of Technol., Netherlands

fYear

2005

fDate

31 May-3 June 2005

Firstpage

266

Abstract

An innovative design is presented enabling fine positioning of each individual fibre in a fibre array used in multiple input and output ports photonic integrated circuits. With this technology, the performance of fibre arrays can improve by eliminating the eccentricities of the lenses deposited on the individual fibres and the inaccuracies of the supporting V-groove substrates. The alignment accuracy is in the sub-micron range and this concept is based on metal deformation by laser-welding induced local heat. It enables us to precisely introduce step-by-step deformations in the constructions (despite the already secured position of the fibre tips and the adjustment construction). The smallest fine-tuning step is 0.05 μm and the fibres are aligned over a range of 10 μm - 25 μm. The performance of different types of regular commercially fabricated fibre arrays, with fibres mounted in silicon V-groove substrates has been determined in order to compare these with the performance of the proposed fibre array design.

Keywords

integrated optics; joining processes; laser arrays; laser beam welding; optical fibre fabrication; 0.05 micron; 10 to 25 micron; alignment accuracy; fibre fine positioning; laser supported fibre array; laser-welding; metal deformation; multi input ports; multi output ports; photonic integrated circuit; silicon V-groove substrates; Arrayed waveguide gratings; Assembly; Fiber lasers; Indium phosphide; Optical arrays; Optical fiber couplers; Optical fiber devices; Optical waveguides; Semiconductor laser arrays; Welding;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 2005. Proceedings. 55th

ISSN

0569-5503

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8907-7

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ECTC.2005.1441277

Filename

1441277