Laser Engineer (Semiconductor Venture)

Liminal; California (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

TopoLight is a venture-backed deep tech startup commercializing novel InP-based high-power photonic crystal lasers. We’re looking for a founding laser engineer to own the physics and design of our devices.

You’ll drive designs from epitaxial stack to thermal path, run simulations, and collaborate with fabrication and characterization to turn targets into manufacturable devices. This is a hands-on, startup environment where you will own the design–fab–measure loop and help shape the future of our

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent with strong background in semiconductor laser design.
• Experience designing PCSEL/DFB/VCSEL/MECSEL or similar architectures.
• Proficiency with optoelectronic and photonic simulation tools.

Responsibilities

• Translate laser power, wavelength, and efficiency targets into manufacturable device designs.
• Design the epitaxial stack for laser operation including active region and quantum-well design, strain balancing, and band-structure engineering.
• Design the photonic crystal lattice geometry, band structure, and resonant mode engineering for lasing operation at the target emission frequency.
• Model and design the thermal path for optimized heat extraction, and package / substrate strategies for CW operation.
• Run optoelectronic and electromagnetic simulations (FDTD, FEM, transfer matrix, coupled-mode theory etc.) to predict threshold, slope efficiency, wall-plug efficiency, and beam quality.
• Support lab operations such as optical setup, device characterization, data analysis, and close the design–fab–measure loop.
• Debug and iterate quickly in a fast-moving environment.

Skills

Semiconductor laser design

Epitaxial stack design

Thermal modeling

Photonic crystal cavity design

Electromagnetic/cavity design

Education

Ph.D. in EE, Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics, or equivalent

B.S./M.S. with 5/3 years relevant experience with semiconductor lasers

Tools

Lumerical

Photon Design

COMSOL

Tidy3d

nextnano

Meep

Job description

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

We’re looking for a founding laser engineer to own the physics and design of our devices. You’ll be involved in the design cycle from the epitaxial semiconductor stack and the photonic crystal cavity to the thermal path and fiber coupling. You’ll turn performance targets into concrete, manufacturable device designs, drive them through simulation, and work hand-in-hand with fabrication and characterization to make them real.

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

Responsibilities

• Translate laser power, wavelength, and efficiency targets into manufacturable device designs.


• Design the epitaxial stack for laser operation including active region and quantum-well design, strain balancing, and band-structure engineering.


• Design the photonic crystal lattice geometry, band structure, and resonant mode engineering for lasing operation at the target emission frequency.


• Model and design the thermal path for optimized heat extraction, and package / substrate strategies for CW operation.


• Run optoelectronic and electromagnetic simulations (FDTD, FEM, transfer matrix, coupled-mode theory etc.) to predict threshold, slope efficiency, wall-plug efficiency, and beam quality.


• Support lab operations such as optical setup, device characterization, data analysis, and close the design–fab–measure loop.


• Debug and iterate quickly in a fast-moving environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in EE, Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics, or equivalent disciplines or B.S./M.S. with 5/3 years relevant experience with semiconductor lasers.


• Demonstrated experience designing semiconductor lasers such as PCSEL, DFB, VCSEL, MECSEL, or similar architectures.


• Proficient with optoelectronic and photonic simulation software (e.g., Lumerical, Photon Design, COMSOL, Tidy3d, nextnano, meep, etc.)


• Strong background in semiconductor physics for III-V epitaxial design.


• Extensive experience with electromagnetic and cavity design, photonic crystals, resonant modes, and thermal modeling of laser devices.


• Comfortable owning ambiguous problems in a startup environment.


• Strong written and verbal communication, with a collaborative working style.

Compensation

Salary will range from $120k – $175k based on experience, with a significant stock allotment to reflect the early nature of the role.