Position finding system and method for use in aligning laser device with an optical fiber

A method of coupling an optical fiber to a laser device including a laser located at an alignment position relative to the optical fiber, the method comprising:

• positioning the laser device in a laser holder coupled to a motion stage;
• positioning the optical fiber in a fiber holder and coupling the optical fiber to a power monitor;
• searching for at least first and second relative high power positions of the laser while moving the laser with the laser at first and second angular orientations, respectively, the first and second relative high power positions being positions at which a measured power of the laser coupled into the optical fiber is high relative to other positions at the respective angular orientations;
• calculating other relative high power positions at other angular orientations, wherein the other relative high power positions are calculated from coordinates of the first and second relative high power positions, wherein the relative high power positions of the laser are “off-axis” relative to the optical fiber such that light is directed at an angle from the laser to the optical fiber;
• determining an alignment position of the laser from the relative high power positions;
• moving the laser device such that the laser is positioned in the alignment position;
• and
• securing the optical fiber to the laser device with the laser maintained in the alignment position.

An alignment system comprising:

• a fiber holder configured to hold an optical fiber;
• a laser holder and motion stage configured to hold a laser and to move the laser relative to the optical fiber;
• a position control system coupled to the laser holder and motion stage and configured to control motion of the motion stage and a position of the laser relative to the optical fiber;
• a power monitor configured to be coupled to an optical fiber;
• and
• a position finding system coupled to the power monitor and to the position control system, the position finding system being configured to search for at least first and second relative high power positions of the laser while moving the laser with the laser at first and second angular orientations, respectively, the first and second relative high power positions being positions at which a measured power of the laser coupled into the optical fiber is high relative to other positions at the respective angular orientations, the position finding system being configured to calculate relative high power positions at other angular positions from coordinates of the first and second relative high power positions and to determine an alignment position of the laser from the relative high power positions, wherein the relative high power positions of the laser are “off-axis” relative to the optical fiber such that light is directed at an angle from the laser to the optical fiber.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method for finding an alignment position of a laser relative to an optical fiber, said method comprising:

• searching for at least first and second relative high power positions of the laser while moving the laser with the laser at first and second angular orientations, respectively, the first and second relative high power positions being positions at which a measured power of the laser coupled into the optical fiber is high relative to other positions at the respective angular orientations;
• calculating at least one other relative high power position at least one other angular orientation, wherein the at least one other relative high power position is calculated from coordinates of the first and second relative high power positions, wherein the relative high power positions of the laser are “off-axis” relative to the optical fiber such that light is directed at an angle from the laser to the optical fiber;
• and
• determining the alignment position of the laser from the relative high power positions.