Staff Optical Fiber Link Design Engineer
PsiQuantumJob Title
Staff Optical Fiber Link Design Engineer
Role Summary
Member of the System Design organization responsible for the design, integration, and validation of the Optical Distribution Network (ODN) and fiber links that connect photonic integrated circuits, subsystems, and control hardware for PsiQuantum systems.
Work cross-functionally to produce deployable fiber architectures that meet strict loss, phase, and cleanliness requirements for cryogenic quantum systems.
Experience Level
Senior — requires 5+ years of relevant industry experience designing and validating fiber networks and optical systems.
Responsibilities
Design, document, and validate fiber link architectures and hardware to meet system requirements.
- Define end-to-end fiber link architecture connecting PICs, subsystems, and control systems.
- Produce detailed fiber routing, splice plans, connectorization and optical I/O designs.
- Drive link component design and work with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering teams.
- Perform link budgets and loss/phase calculations to meet worldline loss requirements.
- Define handling, cleanliness, and routing guidelines for quantum performance thresholds.
- Evaluate and qualify vendor components and advanced fiber-optic hardware for use in production systems.
- Develop and run optical test plans; use lab controls/APIs to automate measurements.
- Support transition of designs from R&D into product development and manufacturing.
- Communicate results and coordinate across teams and external vendors.
Requirements
Required technical skills and experience.
- 5+ years designing, validating, and testing fiber networks and fiber-optic systems.
- Deep knowledge of fiber optics: loss mechanisms, dispersion, nonlinear effects, polarization, and phase stability.
- Experience with advanced splice equipment, fiber handling, routing, and optimization techniques.
- Hands-on experience with optical test equipment such as power meters, OBR (optical backscatter reflectometer), and OSA (optical spectrum analyzer).
- Experience with lab instrumentation used in photonics/electronics environments.
- Proficiency with Python for scripting and calling control software APIs/drivers.
- Experience developing test methods, optimization/tuning algorithms, and qualification procedures.
- Experience supporting product lifecycle activities and transferring designs from R&D to productization.
- Strong organizational, communication, and analytical problem-solving skills.
Education Requirements
M.S. or Ph.D. in Physics, Optical Engineering, or Electrical Engineering (specified). The posting lists M.S. or Ph.D. in these fields with 5+ years industry experience.
About the Company
Company: PsiQuantum
Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA, United States
PsiQuantum develops silicon-photonic quantum computers aimed at building million-qubit, fault-tolerant systems. Founded in 2016, the company combines semiconductor manufacturing processes, photonic hardware, and quantum software to scale quantum systems for commercial and government applications.
