Intern, Free-Space Optical Test Systems

Ayar Labs • San Jose, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Ayar Labs is seeking a motivated graduate intern to join its System Engineering team and build and characterize an advanced free-space optical system for imaging photonic integrated circuits. The role spans optical theory, hardware, and software. The intern will develop computational methods to control and optimize the imaging system, including wavefront control, modeling beam propagation through the optical train, and using numerical optimization to meet performance targets. The intern will build and align the optical bench, write system-control software, and run experiments to characterize performance. The internship has defined objectives and deliverables, and the intern will be mentored by a senior engineer while working alongside Ayar Labs engineers. The term is May to August 2027, and the position is on-site at the San Jose office. Immigration support is not available except for F-1, and relocation support is not available.

Requirements

• Actively pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Optics, or an equivalent field.
• Strong working knowledge of Fourier optics and beam propagation, with demonstrated ability to model and compute optical fields through multi-element systems.
• Solid grounding in optical imaging system design, including pupil and image plane relationships, resolution and field-of-view trade-offs, and aberration theory.
• Hands-on experience with wavefront control and holography, including spatial light modulators or equivalent programmable optical elements.
• Demonstrated experience building and aligning free-space optical benches, including fiber coupling, camera-based imaging, and polarization optics.
• Proficiency in Python for numerical optimization, instrument control, and test automation.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Zemax or equivalent optical design software.

Responsibilities

• Build and characterize a free-space optical system for imaging photonic integrated circuits.
• Develop computational methods to control and optimize the imaging system, including wavefront control, beam-propagation modeling, and numerical optimization.
• Build and align the optical bench.
• Write software to control the optical system.
• Run experiments to characterize system performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree