Senior Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Characterization Engineer

Q.ANT; Stuttgart; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading photonic deep-tech company in Stuttgart is seeking a Senior Photonic Integrated Circuit Characterization Engineer. In this role, you will lead the characterization of advanced photonic integrated circuits, focusing on developing test setups and providing mentorship to junior engineers. A Master's or PhD in a related field, along with extensive experience in photonic characterization and high-speed testing, is essential. This position offers opportunities for professional growth in a collaborative, innovative environment.

Leistungen

Collaborative work environment

Opportunity for fast-track professional growth

Work on cutting-edge photonic technologies

Qualifikationen

• 8+ years in photonic device characterization, 3+ years in GHz-regime high-speed testing.
• Experience in setting up and optimizing optical & RF probe stations.
• Proficient in data acquisition systems and post-processing workflows.

Aufgaben

• Oversee daily characterization activities, ensuring high-quality results.
• Define and maintain optical and RF test setups.
• Mentor junior engineers in best practices for device testing.

Kenntnisse

Photonic device characterization

Optical and RF test setups

Automation scripting (Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB)

Mentorship and guidance

Ausbildung

Master's or PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics

Tools

VNAs

High-speed oscilloscopes

Optical spectrum analyzers

RF probes

Tunable lasers

Jobbeschreibung

Senior Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Characterization Engineer

To lead the photonic and electrical characterization of thin‑film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) operating in the GHz regime. This role defines, develops, and operates advanced lab setups, including probe stations and test instrumentation, to extract performance metrics, identify improvement opportunities, and provide feedback to design and manufacturing. The engineer ensures high-quality measurement data, optimizes test procedures, and mentors junior engineers and operators.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily characterization activities, ensuring high-quality, reproducible results.
• Define, design, build, and maintain optical and RF test setups, including probe station configuration, calibration, and optimization.
• Interface with design teams to understand device specifications and testing needs; collaborate with manufacturing to feed back performance insights and improvement actions.
• Schedule and prioritize characterization campaigns to align with project milestones and R&D priorities.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and technicians in best practices for device testing, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Ensure adherence to lab safety standards and equipment handling protocols.

Profile

Education

Master’s or PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.

Experience

• ≥8 years in photonic device characterization, with ≥3 years in GHz‑regime high‑speed testing.
• Proven track record in setting up and optimizing optical & RF probe stations for PIC measurements.
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior engineers in lab environments.

Technical Knowledge

• Thin-film lithium niobate device physics and applications.
• High-speed optical modulation, detection, and RF signal integrity principles.
• Measurement instrumentation (VNAs, high-speed oscilloscopes, optical spectrum analyzers, RF probes, tunable lasers).
• Calibration methods for optical and RF systems.

Tools & Processes

• Automation scripting (Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB).
• Data acquisition systems and post-processing workflows.
• Familiarity with cleanroom processes and device fabrication steps.

Languages

Fluent in English; proficiency in German or another European language is a plus.

Why Us?

• Make growing demand in compute and sustainability go hand in hand.
• Work on leading edge photonic AI acceleration technologies.
• Collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Own your work from day one and fast-track your professional growth.
• Work alongside a passionate, international, cross‑functional team of experts.
• Collaborate closely with the company’s founders and core leadership team.

About Us

Q.ANT is a photonic deep‑tech scale‑up developing photonic processing solutions that compute natively with light and deliver a scalable alternative to transistor-based systems. Its Light Empowered Native Arithmetics (LENA) architecture delivers analog co‑processing power optimised for complex computation and enabling energy‑efficient performance for next‑generation AI and HPC applications. Q.ANT operates its own Thin‑Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) chip pilot line in collaboration with the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart, IMS CHIPS, and is currently shipping its Native Processing Servers to selected partners. Q.ANT was founded by Michael Förtsch in 2018 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

Seniority Level

• Associate

Employment Type

• Full-time

Industries

• Data Infrastructure and Analytics