Coupling multi-channel laser to multicore fiber

1. A method comprising:

arranging a laser die on a substrate, wherein the laser die has multiple channels that are arranged with a first planar arrangement proximate to a facet of the laser die, wherein the substrate is arranged on a housing component;

aligning a single lens to the facet; and

aligning a multicore optical fiber to the laser die through the single lens, wherein the multicore optical fiber has a plurality of optical cores that are arranged with a second planar arrangement, and wherein aligning the multicore optical fiber to the laser die comprises:

attaching the multicore optical fiber to the housing component; and

rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber to align the second planar arrangement with the first planar arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein aligning the multicore optical fiber to the laser die optically couples the laser die to the multicore optical fiber through the single lens and a facet of the multicore optical fiber.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the housing component is a base, and

wherein the single lens is included in a cap configured to attach to the base.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the multicore optical fiber to the laser die through the single lens comprises:

arranging the multicore optical fiber at a first distance from the single lens, wherein the first distance is based on a magnification of the single lens and is selected to (i) match a mode size of the multiple channels to a mode size of the plurality of optical cores, and (ii) match a pitch between adjacent channels of the multiple channels to a pitch between adjacent cores of the plurality of optical cores.

5. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein the first distance is between two (2) times and five (5) times a second distance between the single lens and the facet.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a pitch between adjacent cores of the plurality of optical cores is between 20 and 30 microns.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber comprises:

determining first spatial coordinates at which a first channel of the multiple channels has a maximum optical coupling with a first optical core of the plurality of optical cores;

determining second spatial coordinates at which a second channel of the multiple channels has a maximum optical coupling with a second optical core of the plurality of optical cores; and

determining a rotational angle using the first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber further comprises:

determining that the rotational angle corresponds to an optical coupling, for at least one of the plurality of optical cores, that is less than a threshold value; and

determining different spatial coordinates for one or both of the first channel and the second channel.

9. An optical device comprising:

a housing component;

a substrate arranged on the housing component;

a laser die arranged on the substrate, wherein the laser die has multiple channels that are arranged with a first planar arrangement proximate a facet of the laser die;

a single lens aligned to the facet; and

a multicore optical fiber attached to the housing component and aligned to the laser die through the single lens, wherein the multicore optical fiber has a plurality of optical cores that are arranged with a second planar arrangement,

wherein the multicore optical fiber is rotationally arranged such that the second planar arrangement is aligned with the first planar arrangement.

10. The optical device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a single optical isolator shared by the multiple channels.

11. The optical device of claim 9 , further comprising:

wherein the multicore optical fiber is optically coupled to the laser die through the single lens and a facet of the multicore optical fiber.

12. The optical device of claim 9 ,

wherein the housing component is a base, and

wherein the single lens is included in a cap attached to the base.

13. The optical device of claim 9 , wherein the multicore optical fiber is arranged at a first distance from the single lens, wherein the first distance is based on a magnification of the single lens and is selected to (i) match a mode size of the multiple channels to a mode size of the plurality of optical cores, and (ii) match a pitch between adjacent channels of the multiple channels to a pitch between adjacent cores of the plurality of optical cores.

14. The optical device of claim 13 ,

wherein the first distance is between two (2) times and five (5) times a second distance between the single lens and the facet.

15. The optical device of claim 14 , wherein a pitch between adjacent cores of the plurality of optical cores is between 20 microns and about 30 microns.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by one or more computer processors to perform an operation comprising:

arranging a laser die on a substrate, wherein the laser die has multiple channels that are arranged with a first planar arrangement proximate to a facet of the laser die, wherein the substrate is arranged on a housing component;

aligning a single lens to the facet; and

aligning a multicore optical fiber to the laser die through the single lens, wherein the multicore optical fiber has a plurality of optical cores that are arranged with a second planar arrangement, and wherein aligning the multicore optical fiber to the laser die comprises:

attaching the multicore optical fiber to the housing component; and

rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber to align the second planar arrangement with the first planar arrangement.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 ,

wherein aligning the multicore optical fiber to the laser die optically couples the laser die to the multicore optical fiber through the single lens and a facet of the multicore optical fiber.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 ,

wherein the housing component is a base, and

wherein the single lens is included in a cap configured to attach to the base.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber comprises:

determining first spatial coordinates at which a first channel of the multiple channels has a maximum optical coupling with a first optical core of the plurality of optical cores;

determining second spatial coordinates at which a second channel of the multiple channels has a maximum optical coupling with a second optical core of the plurality of optical cores; and

determining a rotational angle using the first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein rotationally aligning the multicore optical fiber further comprises:

determining that the rotational angle corresponds to an optical coupling, for at least one of the plurality of optical cores, that is less than a threshold value; and

determining different spatial coordinates for one or both of the first channel and the second channel.