High-speed Photonic Experimentalist

PsiQuantum•Palo Alto, CA

11h•$110,000 - $175,000

About The Position

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers—machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems. Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries. Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry—including partners like GlobalFoundries—we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don’t feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure. In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining—and that now is the time to scale. PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies—including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical—to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact. Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift—and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real. Come join us. PsiQuantum is seeking a high-speed photonics experimentalist to develop phase modulators, switches, and other active photonic components for the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer. In this role, you will own the characterization, analysis, and performance validation of high-speed active photonic devices, circuits, and subsystems. You will work closely with teams across electronics, manufacturing, test, packaging, and system validation to translate device-level results into robust system-level performance. The ideal candidate will have deep hands-on experience with high-speed electro-optic characterization and a strong understanding of passive and active photonic components, including electro-optic phase shifters, switches, modulators, and related integrated photonic devices. The hiring level and scope for this role will be calibrated to the selected candidate’s experience and strengths. Candidates with relevant PhD/postdoctoral exposure, as well as those with additional industry experience, are encouraged to apply.

Requirements

MS or PhD in electrical engineering, applied physics, optical engineering, photonics, or a related technical discipline.
Deep understanding of integrated photonic devices and circuits, including passive and active components such as waveguides, electro-optic phase shifters, switches, modulators, and related high-speed photonic devices.
Hands-on experience with standard RF, microwave, and optical test equipment, including oscilloscopes, signal generators, VNAs, high-speed probes, optical power meters, lasers, photodetectors, and related laboratory equipment.
Experience with high-speed electro-optic measurements, including electro-optic S-parameters, high-speed waveform measurements, bandwidth, and related device- and circuit-level metrics.
Strong understanding of RF measurement concepts, including S-parameters, impedance matching, bandwidth, signal integrity, calibration, de-embedding, and measurement uncertainty.
Experience developing automated test systems, measurement scripts, data pipelines, or analysis tools for photonic, RF, or high-speed electro-optic characterization.
Strong data analysis skills, including data visualization, statistical interpretation of measurement results, and data-driven decision-making.
Ability to translate device requirements and experimental learning goals into clear test plans, execute measurements, analyze results, and communicate conclusions.
Able to work independently with limited direction while maintaining strong alignment with project goals and cross-functional priorities.
Collaborative and effective in a multidisciplinary engineering environment spanning photonics, electronics, packaging, manufacturing, test, firmware, and system validation.
Strong project planning and execution skills, including the ability to manage priorities, track progress, and deliver high-quality results on schedule.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical results clearly to a range of audiences.
Strong critical thinking, analytical, creative, and detail-oriented problem-solving skills.
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving requirements and ambitious technical goals.

Nice To Haves

Industry experience is a plus.
Experience with one or more active photonic material platforms, such as thin-film lithium niobate, BTO, doped silicon, InP, GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAsP, or related electro-optic platforms, is a plus.
Understanding of photonic-electronic interfaces and integrated build architectures, including PCBs, RF interconnects, high-speed drivers, FPGAs, TIAs, firmware-controlled test systems, wirebonds, and related electronics, is a plus.
Experience with photonic packaging and assembly-level integration is a plus.
Experience designing, simulating, or modeling photonic and electro-optic components using tools such as Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D, COMSOL Multiphysics, Meep, or similar platforms is a plus; experience with RF or high-speed electronic simulation tools such as HFSS, ADS, Cadence AWR, or SPICE-based tools is also a plus.
Familiarity with high-volume or manufacturing-oriented test environments, including repeatability, reproducibility, calibration control, and measurement process documentation, is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own high-speed electro-optic characterization and validation of active photonic devices, circuits, and subsystems, including electro-optic phase shifters, switches, modulators, and related components.
Tests include S-parameter measurements, high-speed time domain waveform measurements, switching response, bandwidth, insertion loss, extinction ratio, and related device- and circuit-level metrics.
The candidate will need to work across different test configurations, including wafer-level probing, connectorized photonic/electronic devices, packaged assemblies, and integrated builds incorporating photonic chips, PCBs, drivers, FPGAs, firmware, and related hardware.
Translate device requirements, system needs, and expected learning objectives into executable characterization plans.
Analyze and model measurement data to understand device, circuit and subsystem behavior, diagnose performance limitations, and recommend improvements.
Develop new characterization methods, automation tools, and analysis workflows as needed.
Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams across photonics, electronics, packaging, manufacturing, test, firmware, and system validation to help design, build, test, and improve high-performance photonic chips and assemblies.
Document measurement methods, calibration procedures, results, and conclusions clearly and rigorously.
Mentor junior team members.