Senior Laser Scientist - New Product Introduction

Monarch Quantum•San Diego, CA

15h

About The Position

Join Monarch Quantum’s fast-paced team as a Senior Laser Scientist focused on New Product Introduction. This hands-on role supports the company’s growth by establishing engineering practices and developing new laser systems and semiconductor gain media from concept through prototype and early productization. The scientist will define system requirements, lead technology trade studies, collaborate with suppliers, and support design transition to production. The role spans external cavity lasers (free-space and fiber-based), fiber lasers and amplifiers, and semiconductor lasers, including DFB, DBR, FP, and ECL gain chips. It includes optical design and modeling, cavity and mode control, linewidth and noise optimization, wavelength tuning and stabilization, and experiments to characterize laser performance and environmental sensitivity. The position also provides technical direction and mentorship while collaborating with photonics, electronics, reliability, packaging, and manufacturing teams. Access to export-controlled information is required. Employment is contingent on the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

Requirements

PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, or a related field; exceptional candidates with an MS may be considered.
At least 8 years of hands-on experience designing and building laser systems.
Expertise in at least two of the following: semiconductor laser design and physics; semiconductor laser diodes, gain media, and the commercial semiconductor manufacturing industry; external cavity laser architectures; fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers.
Strong understanding of laser physics and cavity dynamics, noise processes including linewidth, phase noise, and RIN, and thermal effects and opto-mechanical stability.
Proven experience taking laser concepts from laboratory demonstration to robust prototype.
Comfort working hands-on in a laboratory with optical benches, fiber splicing, and diagnostics.
Must be a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), because the position requires access to export-controlled information.
Creative, flexible, and comfortable wearing multiple hats in a startup environment; passionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

Nice To Haves

Experience with semiconductor laser diodes and laser diode manufacturing.
Experience with narrow-linewidth, low-noise, or widely tunable lasers.
Background in telecommunications, LIDAR, sensing or metrology, or quantum, atomic, or coherent optical systems.
Familiarity with PIC-based lasers or hybrid integration.
Familiarity with control loops, frequency locking, and stabilization techniques.
Familiarity with reliability, lifetime testing, and environmental qualification.
Track record of patents or high-impact publications.

Responsibilities

Define optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical requirements for new laser systems and the semiconductor gain media used in them.
Lead technology trade studies and select architectures based on performance, manufacturability, and cost.
Interface with suppliers to drive collaborations that produce quality laser components.
Contribute to new laser platforms from concept through prototype and early productization.
Author technical documentation, invention disclosures, and peer-reviewed publications as appropriate.
Support design transition to production, including design for test and design for manufacturability.
Contribute to laser design across external cavity lasers, fiber lasers and amplifiers, and semiconductor lasers.
Perform and guide optical design and modeling; cavity design and mode control; linewidth and noise optimization; and wavelength tuning, stabilization, and control.
Design and execute experiments to characterize linewidth, phase noise, RIN, SMSR, tuning range, power, efficiency, and environmental sensitivity to temperature, vibration, and aging.
Mentor senior and junior engineers and set technical direction and best practices.
Collaborate with photonics integration and packaging teams, electronics and control systems engineers, and reliability and manufacturing engineering.