Senior PIC Designer

PsiQuantum•Palo Alto, CA

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. Job Summary: We are seeking a Senior Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Designer to lead the design and development of high-performance photonic switch circuits for next-generation optical systems. In this role, you will own PIC architecture and component-level design, translate system-level requirements into manufacturable photonic layouts, and work cross-functionally with device, packaging, electronics, and system teams to deliver scalable, low-loss optical switching solutions. This position is ideal for a technically strong photonics expert with deep simulation experience, solid software skills, and a track record of delivering complex PICs from concept to tape-out.

Requirements

PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field, plus 3+ years of post-PhD experience in PIC design.
Deep hands-on experience with Lumerical toolchain or equivalent photonic simulators.
Proven expertise in system-level PIC design, not just individual components.
Strong understanding of optical switching architectures, loss mechanisms, thermal tuning, and scalability constraints.
Solid software background with proficiency in Python.
Experience working in cross-functional engineering environments (systems, electronics, packaging, manufacturing).
Ability to analyze experimental data and close the loop between simulation, fabrication, and measurement.

Responsibilities

Architect and design photonic switch PICs from system concept through tape-out.
Lead component design and optimization (phase shifters, couplers, waveguides, crossings, heaters, monitors, etc.).
Develop and maintain photonic design flows and automation scripts.
Collaborate closely with electronics, packaging, test, and systems teams to ensure end-to-end performance alignment.
Support foundry interactions and tape-out execution.
Analyze measurement data from fabricated PICs and drive design iterations and yield improvements

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