Technologies are generally provided for enhancing optical coupling between nanostructures, such as a nanowire, and an optical element, such as an optical fiber, for example in order to enable effective optical communication. A nanostructure may be automatically aligned with an optical fiber by suspending the nanowire within a fluid and causing the nanowire to align itself with a tip of the optical fiber also suspended within the fluid. Light may be directed through the optical fiber to induce an optical gradient in the fluid near the optical fiber tip. The optical gradient may attract the nanowire to the tip of the optical fiber, and may cause to align with the optical fiber. Post-alignment, the nanowire may be permanently coupled with the optical fiber to form a nanowire-optical fiber assembly to couple light between the optical fiber and a nanophotonic circuit integrated with the nanowire.