Senior PIC Designer (Switches)

PsiQuantum•Palo Alto, CA

7h•$130,000 - $195,000

About The Position

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers—machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems. Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries. Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry—including partners like GlobalFoundries—we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don’t feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure. In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining—and that now is the time to scale. PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies—including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical—to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact. Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift—and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real. Come join us. This role will lead the design and development of advanced integrated photonic systems for next-generation optical interconnect applications. Drive PIC development from architecture through simulation, active device integration, layout, tapeout, and validation. Develop scalable, low-loss photonic circuits with emphasis on high-speed switching, fast tuning, active photonics, and manufacturability. Collaborate closely with electronics, driver, firmware, packaging, and test teams to mature high-performance optical platforms.

Requirements

Ph.D. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, or related field.
5+ years of experience in silicon photonics or integrated photonic design.
Strong experience with active photonic devices, switching architectures, and electro-optic tuning.
Experience with electronic interfaces, drivers, DACs, and photonic control systems.
Experience with simulation tools such as ADS, VPIphotonics, Lumerical, INTERCONNECT, Cadence, or KLayout.
Hands-on experience supporting PIC development through tapeout and validation.
Familiarity with calibration methods, thermal effects, and fabrication variability.

Responsibilities

Design PICs including active switching elements, modulators, routing networks, and polarization management structures.
Perform optical/electrical simulations and modeling of photonic devices, switching behavior, and control performance.
Develop calibration methods for tuning, monitor photodiodes, crosstalk mitigation, and automated control flows.
Collaborate with electronics and driver teams on DACs, drivers, and electro-photonic integration.
Support tapeouts including layout reviews, DRC/LVS, DFM, and foundry coordination.
Support silicon validation, lab characterization, and simulation-to-hardware correlation.