Tolerance Analysis of Fiber-Coupling Systems

In our last newsletter we put the spotlight on the parametric optimization of a fiber-coupling setup to achieve maximum efficiency, employing the user-friendly tools put at your disposal by the fast physical optics modeling and design software VirtualLab Fusion. However, a good optical design in practice is not just characterized by the optimum combination of parameters that can maximize a specific merit function. Another key aspect is its robustness: as the conditions assumed in the design process cannot be perfectly met in a real-life environment, the logical next step is to analyze how small deviations in the system geometry influence the overall result.

For this purpose, the Parameter Run in VirtualLab Fusion allows the user to perform parameter sweeps. As an example, we analyze the coupling efficiency of a well-designed fiber-coupling lens with respect to different tolerance factors, such as the lateral shift of the fiber-end position and the tilt of the coupling lens. Furthermore, a deep-dive into the scanning mode for the parameter run, in which a two-dimensional area of the parameters space is investigated (with additional possibilities for the visualization of the results), is provided below.