Various embodiments may provide an optical assembly. The optical assembly may include a substrate with a first and a second grooves, and a photonic integrated circuit chip with a coupling waveguide, a first and a second grooves. The optical assembly may further include a first and a second cylindrical rods held by the respective grooves of the substrate and the photonic integrated circuit chip. A portion of the first rod and a portion of the second rod define a vertical offset between the photonic integrated circuit chip and the substrate to align the coupling waveguide with an optical fiber.