Realization of low coupling loss and high-volume alignment of eight-channel waveguide and pigtailed laser coupling through lens and fiber array

Intel has developed a high-volume active alignment for eight channel coupling of a fiber array to photonic integrated circuit (PIC) though a lens array. The fiber array itself has mixed polarization maintaining (PM) fibers and single mode (SM) fibers. The PM fibers are utilized to induce external narrow linewidth laser diodes, while the SM fibers are utilized as both for functional channel and assisting of active alignment. On PIC chip, there are assisting edge channels either incorporated with a integrated laser diode or monitoring photodiode (MPD) to assist the active alignment. Upon completion, all of PM fiber channels are introduced with external laser sources and the coupling and real time monitoring can be realized via MPDs. We have realized that low coupling loss and fast processing for high volume active alignment.