Article - Fiber Coupling to Polarization-Maintaining Fibers and Collimation

How measured fiber parameters help to choose the best coupling and collimation
optics.
by Christian Knothe, Anja Knigge and Ulrich Oechsner

Long-term stable fiber-coupling requires sub-micron precision and pointing stability. A stable measurement setup is fundamental for any successful measurement. A major cause of frustration and error is the need to continuously readjust optomechanical equipment because of continuous instabilities. But first decisions have to be made about which components to use. 

Detailed measurements of fiber parameters like e.g. an effective numerical aperture allow a better understanding which other fiber optic components are suitable for the application at hand. Indepth knowledge about the different parameters is key for this procedure. 

The online product configurators on the new Schäfter+Kirchhoff website provide this information quickly and easily and help narrow down the search to the most relevant choices. [more]