Mechanical Devices for Aligning Optical Fibers Using Elastic Metal Deformation Techniques

We designed and realized two different mechanical devices for aligning standard lensed telecom fibers to indium-phosphide-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The first device (Device A) can align one fiber in three degrees of freedom, while the second device (Device B) can align two fiber arrays, independently of each other, in five degrees of freedom. The alignment principle is based on elastic deformation or bending of metal parts. The advantage of this technique is a well-controlled step-by-step operation for pigtailing PICs. The alignment accuracy of both devices is in the submicrometer range, and the position of the fibers can be adjusted using simple miniaturized set screws and differential screws. Device A is constructed for a 40-Gb/s reflective absorption modulator integrated with semiconductor optical amplifier chip, while device B is invented for multiport universal chip assemblies and tested for a chip designed for wavelength grooming of many wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) channels at lower bit rate into a single time-division-multiplexed (TDM) channel at the aggregate bit rate. This device shows improved thermal stability and the form factor is scaled down ten times compared to commercially available six-axis alignment stages.