Ph.D. Intern - Silicon Photonics & Optical Communications

Job Title

Ph.D. Intern - Silicon Photonics & Optical Communications

Role Summary

Ph.D. intern embedded with Marvell's optical engineering team to apply doctoral research to production silicon photonics and optical transceiver systems. Work spans device, subsystem, and DSP layers for PAM4 and coherent transceiver platforms used in data-center and metro optical links.

This is a hands-on research-and-design internship delivering simulation, lab characterization, and algorithm development that feed into integrated transceiver solutions at production scale.

Experience Level

Entry-level (Ph.D. internship). Intended for currently enrolled Ph.D. candidates; no specific years of post-degree experience required.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include design, simulation, lab validation, and cross-team integration work supporting photonic and optical-communications projects.

• Design, simulate, and characterize silicon photonics components and subsystems (modulators, photodetectors, waveguides, optical engines) for PAM4 and coherent transceivers.
• Develop and validate DSP algorithms for high-speed optical links (equalization, FEC, signal integrity) for PAM4 and coherent formats.
• Perform optical system modeling and link-budget analysis for data-center interconnect, co-packaged optics, and near-packaged optics applications.
• Collaborate with analog IC, packaging, and systems engineering teams to integrate photonic and electronic components into transceiver solutions.
• Characterize and validate designs in the lab using high-speed test equipment and optical measurement tools; support silicon bring-up.
• Present research findings and design results to the engineering team and participate in the intern design curriculum.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed as nice-to-have.

• Must-have: Hands-on research experience in photonics, optical communications, or high-speed signal processing (device design, transceiver systems, or DSP algorithm development).
• Must-have: Strong fundamentals in photonics and electromagnetics (waveguide theory, modulator physics, photodetector concepts, optical link analysis).
• Must-have: Proficiency with simulation and modeling tools relevant to photonics or DSP work (FDTD, MODE, Lumerical, MATLAB, or equivalent).
• Must-have: Ability to communicate research results and defend design tradeoffs to engineering teams.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with PAM4 or coherent modulation formats, FEC, or DSP equalization techniques.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with silicon photonics fabrication and CMOS-compatible design-for-manufacturing considerations.
• Nice-to-have: Exposure to co-packaged optics, optical engine integration, or high-speed lab test and measurement equipment.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with analog IC or mixed-signal circuits related to optical front-ends (TIAs, laser drivers, modulators).

Education Requirements

Currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program (Ph.D. candidate) in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related technical field with a research focus in photonics, optical communications, or high-speed signal processing.

Additional Notes

Role may require access to technology or information subject to U.S. export control laws; applicants must be eligible to access export-controlled information as defined by applicable law.

For reasonable-accommodation requests during the selection process, contact the employer's HR helpdesk (contact details available from the employer).

About the Company

Company: Marvell Technology

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States

Marvell’s semiconductor solutions serve as essential building blocks of the data infrastructure connecting our world, driving innovation across enterprise, cloud, AI, and carrier architectures. The company focuses on creating transformative technology that shapes the future.