Photonics Characterization Intern & New Grad
LightmatterJob Title
Photonics Characterization Intern & New Grad
Role Summary
Work on electro-optic testing and characterization of silicon photonics chips and components to validate performance and enable data-driven process improvements. The role is hands-on in a laboratory setting and requires designing and executing test protocols and automating measurement workflows.
Join a hardware team developing photonics engines for data centers; candidates must be able to comply with U.S. export control laws.
Experience Level
Entry-level / New graduate (Internship). Role targets interns or recent graduates; candidates with PhD candidature or recent PhD completion in relevant fields are encouraged.
Responsibilities
The candidate will perform hands-on characterization and help build automated test infrastructure.
- Perform electro-optic testing of photonics chips and devices, including micro-rings, optical phase shifters, and Mach–Zehnder interferometers.
- Operate and maintain optical instruments: lasers, electro-optic modulators, optical spectrum and vector analyzers, optical filters, PIN receivers, and semiconductor optical amplifiers.
- Use semiconductor test equipment: vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzers, source-meter units, arbitrary waveform generators, and high-speed oscilloscopes.
- Design and execute test protocols for silicon photonics chips and subsystems; collect and analyze measurement data.
- Develop and implement automated test sequences and instrument interfacing using Python scripting.
- Document results and translate data into actionable recommendations for device and process teams.
Requirements
Core technical skills and lab experience required for independent, analytical work in a photonics characterization lab.
- Demonstrated experience with electro-optic testing of silicon photonics components and devices (micro-rings, MZIs, optical phase shifters).
- Hands-on experience with optical and RF test equipment listed above and with high-speed measurement setups.
- Proficiency in Python for test automation and instrument control.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to design experiments, troubleshoot measurements, and interpret data.
- Ability to work independently in a lab environment and communicate results clearly in writing and verbally.
- Ability to comply with U.S. export control requirements.
Nice-to-have:
- Microcontroller programming experience.
- Experience with high-speed instruments, high-speed communications, and optical links.
- Understanding of high-speed PCBs and microelectronics.
Education Requirements
Recent PhD graduate or current PhD candidate in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical field. Graduate-level laboratory experience in photonics or electrical engineering is preferred.
About the Company
Company: Lightmatter
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Lightmatter develops photonic AI data-center infrastructure and optical chips for extreme-scale AI and HPC. The company invented the Passage 3D‑stacked photonics engine to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects across large-scale processors and raised $400M in Series D financing at a reported $4.4B valuation.
