Laser Development Engineer

JR United Kingdom; Bedford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading provider of innovative laser systems is seeking a Laser Development Engineer for their R&D team. You will be involved in the entire product lifecycle, conducting feasibility studies, troubleshooting performance issues, and collaborating with experts in the field. This role offers a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology in a dynamic environment, requiring strong technical skills and a background in laser systems.

Qualifications

• PhD or demonstrable experience in laser environments.
• Understanding of optics and lasers.
• Demonstrable practical ability in creating laser systems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct technical feasibility studies for ultrashort pulsed fiber lasers.
• Troubleshoot laser performance issues.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplined engineering team on laser systems.

Skills

Technical feasibility studies

Building prototypes

Troubleshooting performance

Technical reporting

Collaboration

Optical modelling

Python programming

Education

PhD or equivalent in solid state or fiber laser

Tools

Optical modelling software (Zemax)

Test equipment (power meters, oscilloscopes)

Job description

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A leading provider of innovative laser systems to help people in various global markets, including but not limited to renewables, microelectronics, research, life science, automotive, and medicine.

We are seeking an experienced Laser Development Engineer to join the R&D team in developing advanced laser systems. In this role, you’ll be responsible for delivering project outputs and contributing to team and personal goals, while adapting to changing priorities and identifying critical needs.

You’ll be exposed to the entire product lifecycle, from feasibility studies to production handover, and will collaborate with colleagues across the organization, including access to global experts in laser and optical technologies and world-class manufacturing capabilities.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES.

• Conducting technical feasibility studies in the design of ultrashort pulsed fiber lasers and their use in laser systems.
• Building, assessing, and qualifying prototypes based on these feasibility studies.
• Troubleshooting laser performance issues.
• Providing detailed and technically thorough reports/presentations to the engineering team.
• Providing technical support to the laser manufacturing teams.
• Working within a multi-disciplined engineering team to design laser systems.
• Collaborating with local and international experts.
• Defining specifications and sourcing of laser parts and components.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• PhD or equivalent in a solid state or fiber laser-based area or demonstrable experience of working in a laser manufacturing or development environment.
• Understanding of the principles of optics and lasers.
• Demonstrable practical ability in the creation of breadboard laser systems or in assembling and optimizing laser systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Experienced in the use of test equipment, both optical (power meters, spectrometers, auto-correlators, etc.) and electrical (oscilloscopes, signal generators, spectrum analysers, etc.).
• Experienced in the use of optical modelling software packages (for example, Zemax) and/or the development of optical models via custom code.
• General understanding of electronics and control systems.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Knowledge of ultrashort laser pulses, mode-locking techniques, optical nonlinearities, and dispersion is desirable.
• Ability to program in Python for data analysis and modelling systems.
• Knowledge of control systems and familiarity with circuit diagrams to debug complex system issues.
• Experience of working with SBRs (saturable Bragg reflectors) and aspects of their design and processing for use in ultra-fast laser systems.