Senior Laser Test & Characterization Engineer

Neurophos•Austin, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Neurophos is hiring an electro-optics engineer to build and run testing and characterization of the lasers and optical amplifiers used in its photonic AI processors. The engineer will own the test bench for narrow-linewidth seed lasers and high-speed pulsed sources, measuring relative intensity noise (RIN), phase noise, timing jitter, linewidth, pulse shape, and the RF drive that generates pulses. Results will inform source selection and performance specifications set with vendors. The role works closely with amplifier, transmit PIC, receiver, and electronics teams and involves hands-on lab work: building setups, collecting data, and producing clear pass/fail results. The position is full-time and onsite in Austin, Texas, and reports to the Photonics Characterization Lead. Neurophos develops photonic computing technology using silicon photonics and a programmable metasurface to perform matrix multiplications for AI inference.

Requirements

MS or PhD in electrical engineering, physics, optics, or photonics.
Hands-on laboratory work with narrow-linewidth lasers (DFB, external-cavity, or fiber lasers) at 1550 nm, gained in industry (3+ years) or graduate research.
Direct experience measuring RIN and laser phase or frequency noise, and understanding measurement limits such as shot noise, thermal noise, and instrument floors.
Experience characterizing high-speed pulsed or modulated optical signals using tools such as fast photodetectors, sampling oscilloscopes, autocorrelation, and optical spectrum analysis.
RF and microwave experience to tens of GHz, including phase noise analyzers or signal source analyzers, spectrum analyzers, synthesizers, RF amplifiers, and coaxial interconnects.
Comfort with polarization-maintaining fiber, including fusion splicing, connector care, and PER measurement.
Working knowledge of fiber amplifiers (EDFA).
Python or similar programming for instrument control and data analysis.
Clear written communication skills for test procedures, reports, and specifications that others can act on.

Nice To Haves

Femtosecond-level timing-jitter metrology, including photodetected pulse trains, residual phase noise, and cross-correlation analyzers.
Experience with mode-locked lasers or electro-optic pulse carving, including Mach-Zehnder or thin-film lithium niobate modulators, bias control, and RZ formats.
Balanced detection and common-mode rejection measurements.
Knowledge of stimulated Brillouin scattering, interferometric noise from reflections, and mitigation approaches.
Experience with high-power fiber amplifiers, including multicore or cladding-pumped designs.
Background in optical communications or microwave photonics, such as coherent or high-baud-rate links and optoelectronic oscillators.
Experience bringing up a new lab and managing equipment purchase or rental.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain the laser and amplifier characterization bench, including polarization-maintaining fiber setups at watt-level optical power.
Measure RIN from approximately kHz to tens of GHz at the source and through amplifier chains, including shot-noise subtraction and integration over receiver bandwidth.
Measure laser linewidth and frequency noise using delayed self-heterodyne or equivalent methods, as well as wavelength stability, side-mode suppression, and polarization extinction ratio.
Characterize high-speed pulsed sources at tens of GHz, including pulse width and shape, pulse-to-pulse amplitude uniformity, and timing jitter.
Measure RF phase noise of synthesizers and clock chains, and residual (additive) phase noise of the full electro-optic chain; convert phase noise to integrated jitter.
Set up and run RF drive for electro-optic modulators, including Ka-band amplifiers, filters, phase alignment, and modulator bias control.
Characterize optical amplifiers, including gain, noise figure, saturation, added RIN, and correlated versus uncorrelated noise between channels.
Automate measurements and build a data pipeline using Python and instrument control to make results repeatable and traceable.
Turn data into specifications by writing test procedures, setting pass/fail thresholds, and evaluating vendor samples.
Work with vendors on sample evaluation and data requests, and with internal teams on system-level noise and timing budgets.

Benefits

100% coverage of base health plan premiums for the employee and dependents, plus HSA contributions.
Unlimited PTO.
401(k) matching.
Stock option opportunities.
Voluntary dental insurance.
Voluntary vision insurance.
Voluntary life insurance.
Voluntary hospital insurance.
Voluntary critical illness insurance.
Voluntary accident insurance.
Personalized benefit plan choices, with cash back for plans not selected.