Adaptive Optics Engineer – High-Energy Laser Systems

Xcimer; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Xcimer Energy seeks an Electro-Optical / Adaptive Optics Engineer to design, simulate, and implement AO systems for a high-energy laser platform in Denver. You will develop wavefront control, align and operate AO hardware, and collaborate with theory, optics, and software teams to deliver precise beam quality.

The role emphasizes hands-on alignment, fast auto-alignment methods, and rigorous verification. A strong background in wave-optics and experience with high-energy UV optics is preferred,

Qualifications

• Education: B.S. in optical science/engineering, physics, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of optical science/engineering experience, including 3+ years directly related to adaptive optics systems.
• Experience developing adaptive optics systems using wavefront sensors and deformable mirrors, including established optimization and reconstruction methods.
• Experience with high-fidelity physical wave-optics propagation in the near and far field.
• Experience with hands‑on optical subsystem integration and alignment.
• Experience across multidisciplinary engineering fields including optical, opto‑mechanical, software, and controls systems.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or C/C++/C# for modeling, analysis, and hardware control.
• U.S. citizenship or eligible to work in the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement optimization routines for the adaptive optics control loop, and characterize their performance against measured data.
• Design and implement algorithms for spatial beam shaping using phase plates and adaptive optics.
• Align, calibrate, and operate adaptive optics hardware on a high-energy laser system, including deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors, and supporting diagnostics.
• Build auto-alignment methods and routines to make beamline setup repeatable and fast.
• Characterize the optical environment — aberration sources, thermal drift, vibration and jitter, beam path turbulence — and translate what you find into adaptive optics requirements.
• Leverage and improve wave-optics propagation code to model the laser systems, in close collaboration with the Xcimer Theory and Computation team, and anchor those models against measurements so predictions can be trusted.
• Contribute to wavefront error budgets and tolerance analyses spanning system to component level.
• Collaborate with vendors to develop and drive the next generation of AO platforms for Xcimer’s needs, focusing on deformable mirrors and wavefront sensors.
• Work with control system engineers to integrate AO within the larger laser control system, helping define required controls, interlocks, and operator feedback/UI.
• Write and maintain test plans, alignment procedures, and calibration records to reproduce results.
• Maintain contamination-control discipline appropriate to deep-UV, high-fluence optics

Skills

Adaptive optics

Wavefront sensors

Deformable mirrors

Wave-optics propagation

Beam alignment

Multidisciplinary collaboration

MATLAB/Python/C/C++

Education

B.S. in optical science/engineering or physics

MS/Ph.D. in optical engineering/science or related field

Tools

LabVIEW

FPGA

Embedded firmware

Job description

Xcimer Energy seeks an Electro-Optical / Adaptive Optics Engineer to design, simulate, and implement AO systems for a high-energy laser platform in Denver. You will develop wavefront control, align and operate AO hardware, and collaborate with theory, optics, and software teams to deliver precise beam quality.

The role emphasizes hands-on alignment, fast auto-alignment methods, and rigorous verification. A strong background in wave-optics and experience with high-energy UV optics is preferred,