METHOD OF ALIGNING OPTICAL FIBER TO OPTICAL FIBER OR OPTICAL FIBER TO OPTICAL ELEMENT AT JUNCTION AND OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY

摘要

The present invention provides a method and an optical fiber array in which the orientation of the rotating direction of an optical fiber in an optical fiber array with taking the positional axial displacement into consideration. In a method of aligning the orientation of optical fibers or the axial displacement in an optical fiber array having a plurality of optical fibers and an optical fiber holding member, an enlarged image of the optical fiber is obtained for each of the optical fibers using an image pick-up means. Then, an distribution of characterized image corresponding to the positions in the radial direction of the image of the optical fiber from the obtained enlarged image. From the distribution of the characterized image the orientation of the rotational direction to the center of the optical fiber or the positional axial displacement of the core center is measured. Based on the measured result, the orientation of the rotational direction or the positional axial displacement to the holding member of the optical fiber is aligned with an optical fiber rotating mechanism.