Automated alignment of microstructured optical fibers and conventional single-mode fibers

Aligning two optical fibers is a crucial step in designing good optical fiber-based systems and networks. Good alignment optimizes the power transmitted between the fibers, especially when a microstructured optical fiber (MOF) is interfaced with a single-mode fiber (SMF). In this paper, we present a self-alignment algorithm based on particle swarm optimization (PSO). The PSO algorithm is used to locate the optimal coupling position with the highest optical power for alignments with multiple degrees of freedom. The proposed algorithm is validated by applying it for two different sources and checking the achieved alignment of SMF and MOF and that of two SMFs. (C) 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)