Patent ID: 7862319

Claim:
An optical subassembly and adjustment system comprising: an actuator; an optical component physically joined to the actuator; means for heating at least a portion of the actuator to a critical temperature determined relative to a usage temperature range of the actuator; means for locally heating a selected subregion of the at least a portion of the actuator brought to the critical temperature such that compressive stresses arise in the selected subregion, which, upon reaching a yield point of the material of the selected subregion, results in plastic deformation of the selected subregion; and means for cooling the selected subregion, such that the selected subregion is shortened, resulting in a defined geometric change of the actuator and corresponding displacement of the optical component to a predetermined position, wherein the actuator comprises: a base; an adjustment region that moves in response to the means for locally heating and the means for cooling; and a pair of double bridges that connect the base and the adjustment region, wherein the selected subregion is included in one of the bridges of the pair of double bridges.