Founding Optical Engineer (Semiconductor Venture)

Liminal; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Liminal, on behalf of TopoLight, seeks a founding optical engineer to build, own, and continuously improve the optical test and characterization platform behind our devices. You will design, operate, and maintain the measurement backbone that informs device design and fabrication, pushing toward automated, high-throughput testing.

You will lead free-space and fiber-coupled optical setups, spectral/spatial/power characterization, and develop CW/pulsed measurement capabilities.

Qualifications

• B.S. (+3 year experience) or MS./Ph.D. in EE, Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated proficiency building and aligning free-space optical setups from scratch.
• Strong experience with laser characterization including optical spectroscopy, beam profiling, near-/far-field imaging, and power measurements.
• Comfortable with NIR/SWIR optics, detectors, and cameras, and with the practicalities of coherent light and eye safety.
• Proficient in test automation and instrument control (Python, LabVIEW, or similar) and in analyzing the resulting data.
• Comfortable owning ambiguous problems in a startup environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with a collaborative working style.
• Direct experience with semiconductor laser or photonic device measurement, optical-pumping / pump–probe setups, or confocal microscopy preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, align, and maintain the setups that measure our lasers
• Run spectral, spatial, and power characterization: lasing spectra and linewidth, L-I curves, threshold and slope efficiency, and near- / far-field beam profiling
• Develop measurement setups (pulsed and CW) for characterizing electrically and optically-pumped semiconductor lasers, including electrical wiring, pump delivery and thermal management
• Build free-space and fiber-coupled optical trains spanning NIR/SWIR wavelengths, including confocal epi-illumination microscopy and SWIR imaging
• Design and install automation — motorized stages, instrument control, and data-acquisition pipelines for repeatable, high-throughput measurement
• Establish calibration, measurement protocols, statistical workflows, and standards for reliable device-to-device comparison
• Close the loop between simulation, fabrication, and measurement in tight collaboration with device design and process teams
• Debug and iterate quickly in a fast-moving environment

Skills

Free-space optical setups

Laser characterization

Test automation

Python

LabVIEW

Communication

Education

B.S. in EE or related or MS/PhD

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

Optical alignment tools

Job description

TopoLight is a venture-backed deep tech startup commercializing novel InP-based high-power photonic crystal lasers (PCSELs).

We’re looking for a founding optical engineer to build, own, and continuously improve the optical test and characterization platform behind our devices. You will build, operate, and maintain the measurement backbone that tells us how every generation of laser actually performs. You’ll stand up the setups, run the measurements that guide device design and fab, and push the bench toward automated, high-throughput characterization.

Note: This job posting was placed by Liminal, we're the venture builder that is backing TopoLight.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, align, and maintain the setups that measure our lasers
• Run spectral, spatial, and power characterization: lasing spectra and linewidth, L-I curves, threshold and slope efficiency, and near- / far-field beam profiling
• Develop measurement setups (pulsed and CW) for characterizing electrically and optically-pumped semiconductor lasers, including electrical wiring, pump delivery and thermal management
• Build free-space and fiber-coupled optical trains spanning NIR/SWIR wavelengths, including confocal epi-illumination microscopy and SWIR imaging
• Design and install automation — motorized stages, instrument control, and data-acquisition pipelines for repeatable, high-throughput measurement
• Establish calibration, measurement protocols, statistical workflows, and standards for reliable device-to-device comparison
• Close the loop between simulation, fabrication, and measurement in tight collaboration with device design and process teams
• Debug and iterate quickly in a fast-moving environment

Qualifications

• B.S. (+3 year experience) or M.S./Ph.D. in EE, Material Science, Physics, Applied Physics, or equivalent disciplines
• Demonstrated proficiency building and aligning free-space optical setups from scratch
• Strong experience with laser characterization including optical spectroscopy, beam profiling, near-/far-field imaging, and power measurements
• Comfortable with NIR/SWIR optics, detectors, and cameras, and with the practicalities of coherent light and eye safety
• Proficient in test automation and instrument control (Python, LabVIEW, or similar) and in analyzing the resulting data
• Comfortable owning ambiguous problems in a startup environment
• Strong written and verbal communication, with a collaborative working style
• Direct experience with semiconductor laser or photonic device measurement, optical-pumping / pump–probe setups, or confocal microscopy preferred.

Compensation

Salary will range from $100k – $120k based on experience, with a significant stock allotment.