Senior Research Scientist - Thin-Film Lithium Niobate

IonQ•Boston, MA

1d•$126,887 - $166,127•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Research Scientist. As a Nonlinear Optics Fabrication Research Scientist, you'll be part of a cross-functional team whose mission is to lead lonQ on its journey to build the world's best quantum computers to solve the world's most complex problems. In this role, you will be deeply involved in the fabrication and testing of state-of-the-art photonic integrated circuits, with a primary focus on thin-film nonlinear optics platforms. You will play a hands-on role in developing cutting-edge technology that directly enables advanced quantum interconnects. As part of our research organization, your work will be driven by ambitious system-level specifications, pushing the boundaries of current material and fabrication capabilities to achieve unprecedented device performance.

Requirements

A PhD in electrical engineering, physics, materials science, or a related field.
Hands-on experience working with lithium niobate integrated photonics or other similar materials.
Deep expertise in cleanroom fabrication environments, particularly excelling in lithography and etching processes.

Nice To Haves

Specialized knowledge in the periodic poling of lithium niobate to enable efficient non-linear frequency conversion.
Previous involvement in transitioning in-house processes to external foundries, including tapeout experience.
Hands-on experience with optical testing setups, specifically the optical and electrical probing of integrated photonic chips.
Familiarity with architectures for distributed quantum computing, sensing, and networking.

Responsibilities

Fabricate and characterize thin-film integrated photonic devices and circuits.
Process devices in a cleanroom user facility, focusing on core techniques like etching and lithography.
Conduct metrology and physical characterization to evaluate the quality of fabricated structures.
Partner with internal test and measurement teams to ensure devices meet target specifications.
Build relationships with external vendors to scale up fabrication and testing.