Sr. Engineer, Optical Link Architecture

Ayar Labs • San Jose, CA

17h • Onsite

About The Position

Ayar Labs is solving the I/O bandwidth bottlenecks inherent in modern AI compute architectures. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we develop silicon photonics solutions that deliver unprecedented bandwidth density and reach, at a fraction of the power consumption required to scale next-generation AI models. Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD, Mediatek and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world's leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs' co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures. Joining our Link Design and Architecture team, you will own the optical modeling that underpins our silicon photonics I/O platform — the device-level behavior, the nonlinear and modulation physics, and the behavioral models that feed full end-to-end link simulation. This team is responsible for the robustness and performance of the optical links that power our technology, from component-level modeling through architecture definition, full link analysis, specification development, and yield prediction. Beyond today's products, the team drives the exploration of next-generation link architectures and directly shapes our long-term technology roadmaps.

Requirements

• MS in Optics/Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in photonics, optical link modeling, or integrated photonic system design.
• Strong understanding of photonic device physics — couplers, waveguides, modulators, photodetectors, micro-ring resonators, gratings — and the optical effects that drive link performance (loss, dispersion, nonlinearity, electro-optic modulation).
• Experience building behavioral or compact models of photonic components (s-matrix, nonlinear, or similar) and benchmarking them against measured data.
• Strong Python skills for scientific computing and data analysis (NumPy, SciPy, pandas, or similar).
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative working style across engineering disciplines.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D.
• Prior experience with silicon photonics or large-scale integrated optical systems.
• Familiarity with optical transceiver principles, high-speed modulation formats, and industry trends (PAM4, coherent, DWDM, etc.).
• Experience with photonic simulation tools (FDTD, Lumerical interconnect, Sax).
• Experience with laboratory optical characterization and free-space/fiber optics.
• Familiarity with Verilog-A behavioral modeling and mixed-signal simulation — useful for collaborating with the Electrical Link Design team on optical/electrical co-simulation.
• Experience with statistical analysis of test data and DOE methods.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain behavioral models of photonic components and links at the fidelity needed for link-level analysis, choosing the right modeling approach for each problem.
• Ingest and analyze large volumes of test and foundry data to extract model parameters, quantify device-to-device and wafer-to-wafer variability, and keep models anchored to measured reality.
• Benchmark system-level models against measured link data and close the loop back to device-level models when discrepancies appear.
• Run end-to-end link simulations to evaluate optical device and architecture choices, informing current product design and future roadmap exploration.
• Collaborate with photonic device designers, analog / mixed-signal circuit designers, and test teams to ensure the optical side of the modeling stack evolves coherently with the product roadmap.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees