Intern, Architect - Link Architecture and Analysis

Ayar Labs • San Jose, CA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Ayar Labs is seeking a motivated graduate or Ph.D. intern to join its CTO architecture team. The team analyzes electro-optical boundaries, signal integrity, and the performance limits of next-generation interconnects to advance optical I/O. The intern will work on electrical integrated circuit/photonic integrated circuit (EIC/PIC) co-optimization and architecture performance modeling, collaborating with mixed-signal designers, photonics engineers, and system architects to evaluate near-packaged optics (NPO) and co-packaged optics (CPO) paradigms in alignment with emerging OCI MSA specifications. The project will be tailored to the intern’s background, with mentorship from a senior link architect.

The position is an on-site internship in Ayar Labs’ San Jose office, running from May through August 2027. Immigration support is not provided except for F-1 candidates, and relocation support is not provided.

Requirements

• Actively pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or Optical Engineering.
• Strong understanding of high-speed SerDes architecture, signal integrity, and optical link budget.
• Familiarity with advanced packaging architectures, including CPO and NPO, and electro-optical transceiver components such as modulators, photodetectors, TIAs, and drivers.
• Strong programming and data analysis skills in Python or MATLAB.
• Independent, highly motivated, and able to work collaboratively and autonomously while self-managing time effectively.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of emerging high-speed I/O standards and scale-up fabrics, such as OCI MSA, IEEE 802.3 224G, ESUN, or UALink.

Responsibilities

• Work on EIC/PIC co-optimization.
• Model the performance of architectures.
• Collaborate with mixed-signal designers, photonics engineers, and system architects.
• Evaluate NPO and CPO packaging paradigms in alignment with emerging OCI MSA specifications.
• Manage project tasks independently and collaboratively, taking them through to completion.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree