Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer

Job Title

Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer

Role Summary

Lead characterization, bring-up, validation, and root-cause analysis for semiconductor lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) used in photonic systems. Own optical and electro-optical test setups, automate measurement flows, analyze datasets, and deliver engineering conclusions that drive device design, packaging, system, and reliability decisions.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 5+ years of hands-on experience in semiconductor laser, SOA, photonics, or optical device characterization.

Responsibilities

Primary hands-on and technical leadership responsibilities:

• Lead lab characterization of semiconductor lasers (DFB, DBR, ECL, tunable, laser diodes) and SOAs from early samples to production validation.
• Measure and analyze performance: output power, wavelength, optical spectrum, SMSR, RIN, linewidth, gain, saturation, ASE, noise figure, tuning, stability, and thermal sensitivity.
• Develop and validate measurement methodologies (LIV, L-I-V-T, tuning, power stability, linewidth, long-term drift) and calibration procedures.
• Design and maintain automated optical and RF measurement setups and instrument control scripts for repeatable characterization workflows.
• Analyze device behavior across current, voltage, temperature, optical loading, polarization, feedback, and aging conditions; identify root causes of anomalies.
• Use modeling and analysis tools to plan measurements and interpret data for laser physics, gain, thermal behavior, and system-level performance.
• Define data quality checks, documentation standards, and automated reporting for characterization results.
• Translate characterization findings into actionable feedback for design, packaging, system, and reliability teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and help establish consistent, high-quality characterization practices across the team.
• Prepare technical reports, design reviews, and concise data summaries for cross-functional stakeholders.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience (education summarized separately below):

• 5+ years hands-on experience characterizing semiconductor lasers, SOAs, photonic devices, or equivalent device-level optical measurement work.
• Deep understanding of semiconductor laser physics, optical gain, carrier dynamics, rate equations, thermal effects, feedback sensitivity, linewidth, and noise mechanisms.
• Practical expertise with optical and electro-optical lab measurements and troubleshooting (coupling, polarization, back-reflection, RF noise, grounding, calibration, thermal drift).
• Experience operating common instruments: laser current drivers, TEC controllers, optical spectrum analyzers, power meters, photodetectors, oscilloscopes, RF spectrum analyzers, bias tees, optical switches, polarization controllers, and fiber-coupled components.
• Strong Python experience for instrument automation, data collection, calibration, analysis, plotting, and automated reporting; familiarity with PyVISA, LabVIEW, MATLAB or similar is a plus.
• Experience building and maintaining automated optical and RF measurement setups and instrument-control workflows.
• Ability to analyze large datasets, perform statistical analysis, and produce clear visualizations and summaries.
• Proven ability to debug open-ended device, setup, and measurement problems independently and communicate results clearly across teams.
• Demonstrated leadership: define test strategy, mentor junior staff, and influence cross-functional engineering decisions.
• Ability to comply with U.S. export control laws as required for the role.

Education Requirements

Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a closely related technical field. The job lists a Master’s or PhD as required; a PhD 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.