Laser Systems Engineer

QuEra Computing, Inc.•Boston, MA

7h•$128,000 - $208,000•Onsite

About The Position

Laser Systems is QuEra’s laser infrastructure program, owning the full lifecycle of QPU laser systems — architect, design, build, integrate, and sustain — across all machine generations and global sites spanning the US, Japan, and the UK. The team also owns fleet-level infrastructure for management of laser systems at scale. We are seeking a Laser Systems Engineer to join this team in Boston. Depending on focus area, the role may sit in platform development and R&D, system integration and deployment, or operational reliability — or span all three. In all cases, you will work directly with the laser systems that power our neutral atom QPUs across multiple active laser families, collaborate across internal teams and with external co-development partners, and contribute to a program that is central to QuEra’s technical roadmap.

Requirements

B.S. or M.S. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent hands-on experience will be considered
Experience with laser systems, optical subsystems, or opto-mechanical integration in a precision or scientific instrumentation context
Strong experimental and troubleshooting skills, with a hands-on approach to engineering challenges in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, with clear written and verbal communication

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in nonlinear optics, frequency conversion techniques, or high-power photonic systems
Experience with vibration isolation, thermal management, and mechanical integration of precision platforms
Proven vendor co-development experience, from requirements definition through prototype and production
Prior experience in quantum computing, advanced photonics, or scientific instrumentation environments
Background in AMO experiments or quantum systems; familiarity with how laser performance requirements arise from atomic physics constraints is a strong plus
Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (strongly preferred for R&D-focused roles)

Responsibilities

Design and develop infrastructure-grade laser systems built for repeatability, modularity, and field serviceability — programmable optical engines with calibration-friendly architectures, integrated modulators, co-packaging approaches, and well-defined interfaces compatible with automated control and monitoring infrastructure
Evaluate emerging laser technologies and co-development partner systems for technical performance, integration readiness, and long-term scalability
Contribute to architecting the hosting infrastructure for quantum laser systems — meeting stringent requirements for vibration isolation, thermal stability, noise, and QPU integrability — and own build, integration, and validation across optical, electrical, and mechanical interface standards
Own physical installation and commissioning of laser systems within QPU platforms; manage technical handoffs with build, operations, and development teams
Prepare and ship laser subsystems to domestic and international sites, ensuring systems arrive integration-ready
Design and implement laser stabilization systems covering intensity, frequency, and phase noise — including servo loop design, locking architectures, and performance characterization
Monitor and sustain uptime for production and development laser systems; lead triage and root-cause analysis for unplanned downtime
Perform precision fiber alignment and implement automated fiber coupling systems
Maintain SOPs, QA documentation, and integration records; coordinate vendor service and RMA processes as needed
Contribute to shaping how laser management scales with fleet growth — reducing per-system overhead through novel automation approaches including AI-powered control agents and LLM-assisted workflows for complex tasks such as autonomous laser locking and heterogeneous hardware orchestration
Partner with Hardware, Software, Systems Engineering, Build, and Operations teams to ensure seamless integration, manufacturability, and field readiness of laser systems
Contribute to laser system technology roadmaps and platform decisions that span multiple QPU generations
Deliver technical transfer packages and engineering documentation to support productization and new platform design