Fiber misalignment measurement method by the reflected light from fibers

A simple method for detecting misalignment of fiber axes is described. Bidirectional misalignment of the fiber axis is measured through images observed in one direction. The bidirectional components of fiber axis misalignment are measured using images created by reflected light from the fibers. The image observed for each fiber consists of a single bright line, a great advantage when processing images. The characteristics of the intensity distribution of reflected light from fibers determined by computer simulation and experiments are examined. Based on these results, the principle of the method for detecting optical-fiber positions is explained. It is shown that the accuracy of the axis misalignment measurement is defined as a standard deviation of 0.61 mu m for a single fiber and 0.86 mu m for a fiber ribbon; the accuracy of the measurement may allow further improvement by using an image sensor with higher resolution. >