The Raspberry Pi Auto-aligner: Machine Learning for Automated Alignment of Laser Beams

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Raspberry Pi-based automated laser beam aligner utilizing machine learning to optimize alignment efficiently, reducing manual effort and iteration time from hours to approximately 20 minutes.

Contribution

It presents a novel, open-source hardware and software solution combining Raspberry Pi, stepper motors, and M-LOOP machine learning for automated laser beam alignment.

Findings

Improved alignment accuracy with automated system

Reduced alignment time from hours to 20 minutes

Demonstrated successful integration of hardware and machine learning

Abstract

We present a novel solution to automated beam alignment optimization. This device is based on a Raspberry Pi computer, stepper motors, commercial optomechanics and electronic devices, and the open source machine learning algorithm M-LOOP. We provide schematic drawings for the custom hardware necessary to operate the device and discuss diagnostic techniques to determine the performance. The beam auto-aligning device has been used to improve the alignment of a laser beam into a single-mode optical fiber from manually optimized fiber alignment with an iteration time of typically 20~minutes. We present example data of one such measurement to illustrate device performance.