Optical Test Engineer

Job Title

Optical Test Engineer

Role Summary

Execute structured optical test plans to characterize metasurface-based photonic devices at die and wafer levels, perform spectral and electro‑optic measurements, automate data acquisition with Python, analyze large datasets to inform fabrication yield and device performance, and communicate results to the engineering team.

Work on a small engineering team developing photonic hardware for energy-efficient AI inference.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Years of experience: not specified.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include measurement execution, test automation, data analysis, and documentation.

• Execute optical test plans for die-level metasurface devices; measure spectral reflectance, resonance, and electro‑optic responses.
• Perform spectral measurements using broadband sources, tunable lasers, NIR spectrometers, and microscope-based IR imaging.
• Conduct voltage-driven electro‑optic measurements using arbitrary waveform generators and fast photodetectors.
• Carry out die-to-die and wafer-level measurement campaigns with attention to calibration, alignment, repeatability, and documentation.
• Develop and improve test setups and measurement methodology.
• Write and maintain Python scripts for instrument control, test automation, and data acquisition to increase throughput and consistency.
• Analyze, visualize, and summarize measurements (resonance wavelength, linewidth, extinction ratio, modulation depth, response times) and present findings to engineering teams.
• Perform supporting electrical checks such as continuity and impedance verification of packaged devices.

Requirements

Core must-have skills and experience; preferred skills listed separately.

• Must-have: Hands-on optics laboratory experience (e.g., undergraduate research, senior design, internship, or professional work).
• Practical experience with free-space optical alignment involving lasers, lenses, and detectors.
• Familiarity with spectroscopy, polarization, interference, and resonant optical structures.
• Proficiency in Python for data analysis; willingness to develop instrumentation control and test automation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and disciplined documentation habits for precision measurement work.
• Clear written and verbal technical communication skills.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with spectrometers, tunable lasers, lock-in amplifiers, motorized stages, PyVISA/SCPI or LabVIEW instrument control, exposure to electro‑optic devices, metasurfaces or nanophotonics, and basic electrical measurement tools (oscilloscopes, function generators, multimeters).

Education Requirements

B.S. in Optics, Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field. The posting also notes hands-on laboratory experience can include undergraduate research, senior design projects, internships, or professional experience.

About the Company

Company: Neurophos

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, United States

Startup developing silicon-photonic AI accelerator chips that use programmable metasurfaces and dense optical cells to perform matrix multiplications at the speed of light, targeting large-scale AI inference with much higher energy efficiency and performance than traditional electronic approaches.