Rapid fiber optic alignment techniques for optical switching

A method, comprising:

• producing a first optical signal from an input fiber of an input fiber array;
• imaging the first optical signal onto an output device by a first phase light modulator (PLM) having first phase elements configured with first initial settings and a second PLM having second phase elements configured with second initial settings, forming a first signal image on the output device;
• determining a first initial position displacement of the first signal image from a goal position;
• calculating first corrected settings for the first phase elements and second corrected settings for the second phase elements;
• producing a second optical signal from the input fiber, the second optical signal being imaged onto the output device by the first PLM and the second PLM, the first phase elements having third initial settings and the second phase elements having fourth initial settings, to form a second signal image on the output device;
• determining a second initial position displacement of the second signal image from the goal position;
• calculating third corrected settings for the first phase elements and fourth corrected settings for the second phase elements;
• calculating first PLM correction factors for the first phase elements using the first initial settings, the first corrected settings, the third initial settings, and the third corrected settings;
• and
• calculating second PLM correction factors for the second phase elements using the second initial settings, the second corrected settings, the fourth initial settings, and the fourth corrected settings.