Intern, Photonic Device Design

Ayar Labs; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 69,000 - 83,000; Part time

Job summary

Ayar Labs, the leader in optical I/O chiplets, seeks an Intern, Photonic Device Design in San Jose, CA to push co-packaged optics performance. You’ll move designs from simulation to silicon on a cutting-edge process and contribute to a rapid iteration of devices in a hands-on team environment.

Applicants must be pursuing a Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering with Photonics, with experience in photonic device physics, Python, and AI-assisted design workflows.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering with Photonics specialization.
• Experience with simulation tools for passive optical devices (e.g., FDTD, mode solvers).
• Python programming and structured code writing in a team environment.
• Ability to connect simulation to measurement from design to device characterization.

Responsibilities

• Translate designs from simulation to silicon on a leading-edge process.
• Iterate on device performance to improve bandwidth and energy efficiency.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to refine models and devices.

Skills

Photonic device physics

Waveguides

Couplers

Gratings

Micro-ring resonators

FDTD simulations

Mode solver tools

Python programming

Design to measurement

AI-assisted design

Education

Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering with Photonics

Tools

FDTD software

Mode solver software

Job description

Position:Intern, Photonic Device Design

Location: San Jose, CA

Job Id:763

# of Openings:0

Term: May to August 2027

Please note:

• Position location is on-site in San Jose Office
• There is no immigration (except F1) or relocation support for this position
• Posting expires upon application threshold

Position Description

Ayar Labs, the global leader in optical I/O chiplets, is harnessing silicon photonics to revolutionize the scaling of AI compute hardware. Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models. Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale‑up architectures. You will utilize your knowledge of device physics (couplers, gratings, micro-rings, etc) to push the bandwidth density, energy efficiency, and manufacturability of our co-packaged optics platform. You’ll take designs from simulation to silicon on a leading‑edge process, and leverage our rich pipeline of hardware to refine our models and build better devices in the next submission.

Intern Skillset Needed

• Solid understanding of photonic device physics: waveguides, couplers, gratings, micro-ring resonators
• Experience with simulation tools for passive optical devices (e.g., FDTD, mode solvers)
• Python skills; experience writing structured code in a team environment
• Ability to connect simulation to measurement - design, characterize, and iterate on device performance
• Familiarity with optical transceiver principles and co-packaged optics architectures
• Demonstrated use of AI tools to achieve meaningful productivity gains in design or analysis workflows - e.g., device optimization, AI-assisted code development

Education Requirements

• Candidate should be actively pursuing a Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering or other Engineering with Photonics specialization

Pay Range: $50 - 60/hourly, depending on education level

NOTE TO RECRUITERS:

Ayar Labs is an affirmative action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.