An ophthalmic surgical system (100, 200) comprising: a laser source (204, 110) configured to generate optical pulses and direct the optical pulses along an optical path defined by one or more optical elements; and a housing (210, 308, 524, 624, 724) configured to be coupled to a handpiece (106, 220), the housing comprising a radially repulsive magnetic bearing (208, 302, 502, 602, 702) that comprises: a first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) coupled to an optical element defining the optical path; a second axially polarized magnet (314, 514, 614, 714) concentric with and radially repulsive to the first axially polarized magnet, the second axially polarized magnet coupled to the housing;; and a thrust bearing (316, 516, 616) coupled to the housing and the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712), wherein the thrust bearing is configured to allow movement of the optical element (304, 504, 604, 704) coupled to the first axially polarized magnet in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and to counteract a magnetic force caused by an offset between a structural symmetric axis (313, 513) of the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) and a magnetic neutral axis (315, 515) of the first and second axially polarized magnets; wherein the radially repulsive magnetic bearing is configured, when the housing is coupled to the handpiece, to optically align an optical element of the handpiece with the optical element coupled to the first axially polarized magnet. a laser source (204, 110) configured to generate optical pulses and direct the optical pulses along an optical path defined by one or more optical elements; and a housing (210, 308, 524, 624, 724) configured to be coupled to a handpiece (106, 220), the housing comprising a radially repulsive magnetic bearing (208, 302, 502, 602, 702) that comprises: a first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) coupled to an optical element defining the optical path; a second axially polarized magnet (314, 514, 614, 714) concentric with and radially repulsive to the first axially polarized magnet, the second axially polarized magnet coupled to the housing;; and a thrust bearing (316, 516, 616) coupled to the housing and the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712), wherein the thrust bearing is configured to allow movement of the optical element (304, 504, 604, 704) coupled to the first axially polarized magnet in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and to counteract a magnetic force caused by an offset between a structural symmetric axis (313, 513) of the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) and a magnetic neutral axis (315, 515) of the first and second axially polarized magnets; wherein the radially repulsive magnetic bearing is configured, when the housing is coupled to the handpiece, to optically align an optical element of the handpiece with the optical element coupled to the first axially polarized magnet. a first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) coupled to an optical element defining the optical path; a second axially polarized magnet (314, 514, 614, 714) concentric with and radially repulsive to the first axially polarized magnet, the second axially polarized magnet coupled to the housing;; and a thrust bearing (316, 516, 616) coupled to the housing and the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712), wherein the thrust bearing is configured to allow movement of the optical element (304, 504, 604, 704) coupled to the first axially polarized magnet in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and to counteract a magnetic force caused by an offset between a structural symmetric axis (313, 513) of the first axially polarized magnet (312, 512, 612, 712) and a magnetic neutral axis (315, 515) of the first and second axially polarized magnets; wherein the radially repulsive magnetic bearing is configured, when the housing is coupled to the handpiece, to optically align an optical element of the handpiece with the optical element coupled to the first axially polarized magnet.