PIC Design Engineer

Intellectual Capital Resources Ltd; Scotland; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Intellectual Capital Resources Ltd in the United Kingdom is seeking a hands-on Photonics Engineer to own the design and development of visible-light PICs from simulation to fabricated devices.

You will work with waveguides, resonators and coupling interfaces, perform FDTD simulations, and drive cleanroom fabrication while shaping the platform’s technical direction.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on PIC/waveguide design experience, ideally at visible wavelengths.
• Experience with Lumerical/FDTD and photonic simulation.
• Strong passive photonics knowledge, including couplers and resonant devices.
• Hands-on cleanroom and nanofabrication experience.
• Understanding of heterogeneous integration and mode matching.
• Experience with optical characterisation and thin-film processes.
• Python skills; KLayout, GDSFactory or IPKISS advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Design visible-light PICs including waveguides, couplers, MMIs, MZIs, resonators.
• Develop fibre-to-chip coupling and interfaces for heterogeneously integrated lasers and photodetectors.
• Perform FDTD, eigenmode and propagation simulations.
• Take designs through layout, fabrication and characterisation.
• Work hands-on with e-beam lithography, ICP-RIE, thin-film deposition and evaporation.
• Characterise optical thin films and fabricated photonic devices.
• Use Python to automate simulations, parameter sweeps and data analysis.
• Help define the technical direction of the photonics platform.

Skills

PIC design

FDTD simulations

Python

Cleanroom experience

Tools

Lumerical FDTD

KLayout

GDSFactory

IPKISS

Job description

You’ll own devices from first-principles simulation and PIC design through cleanroom fabrication to measured silicon, with significant influence over the technical direction of the photonics platform.

The role

• Design visible-light PICs including waveguides, couplers, MMIs, MZIs, resonators and subwavelength structures
• Develop fibre-to-chip coupling and interfaces for heterogeneously integrated lasers and photodetectors
• Perform FDTD, eigenmode and propagation simulations
• Take designs through layout, fabrication and characterisation
• Work hands-on with e-beam lithography, ICP-RIE, thin-film deposition and evaporation
• Characterise optical thin films and fabricated photonic devices
• Use Python to automate simulations, parameter sweeps and data analysis
• Help define the technical direction of the photonics platform

Your background

• Strong hands-on PIC/waveguide design experience, ideally at visible wavelengths
• Experience with Lumerical/FDTD and photonic simulation
• Strong passive photonics knowledge, including couplers and resonant devices
• Hands-on cleanroom and nanofabrication experience
• Understanding of heterogeneous integration and mode matching
• Experience with optical characterisation and thin-film processes
• Python skills; KLayout, GDSFactory or IPKISS advantageous

A rare opportunity to combine advanced PIC design, visible photonics and hands-on nanofabrication, taking technology from simulation all the way through to fabricated and characterised devices while helping shape a new photonics platform.