Optical systems used in conventional telecommunication systems typically include a light source which supplies light that must be properly directed to a remote destination. Typically, the light source is a laser diode or an optical fiber, and the destination is a light detector or an optical fiber. Proper routing of the light requires that the light source and the remote destination be properly aligned with one another.
Proper alignment of such systems has been conventionally accomplished by repositioning the light source and/or the remote destination. Such repositioning may require re-melting the solder used for bonding the light source and/or the remote destination to an associated supporting structure. Typical lateral positioning tolerances for optical elements such as a laser diode are on the order of approximately 1 .mu.m or less. Due to such small tolerances, the laser diode and an accompanying collimating lens must be carefully bonded to a support structure to ensure that they are properly aligned. If the laser diode is positioned with a lateral control of 2 .mu.m and used with a 1 .mu.m focal length collimating lens, the pointing error can typically be 2 milliradians (vertically and horizontally).
However, even when the pointing error of the light source is controlled, the pointing error of the destination may also need to be controlled. For instance, if the destination is a collimating lens and a single-mode fiber, light from a second light source may be directed backward through the fiber and the collimating lens towards the first light source to ensure proper alignment of this first light source and the destination. If the pointing error of the collimating lens and single-mode fiber is not controlled, the light from this second light source will not reach the first light source. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus which adjusts for pointing errors both near a light source and a destination so that the light is properly routed from the source to the destination without having to reposition the source and/or the destination.