Improved alignment of fibre-optics active devices via response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) has long been recognized as an effective approach to empirical optimization of engineering processes. This paper reports a novel application of the methodology to enhance the efficiency and reliability of an active device alignment operation that is critical to fibreoptics manufacturing. With 22 factorial designs, the RSM approach has been found capable of locating the optimum co-ordinates for maximum power coupling at speeds more than three times those of the usual search algorithms.