Lead Photonic Device Design Engineer for Quantum Systems

Physics World; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 212,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus

Comprehensive benefits

Career development opportunities

Job summary

IonQ is seeking a Principal Photonic Device Design Engineer to lead the design and development of semiconductor lasers and active photonic devices for heterogeneous platforms supporting scalable quantum and classical systems. You will define device architectures, roadmaps, and drive designs from concept through production qualification with cross‑functional teams.

You will mentor engineers, guide experiments, and collaborate with processing partners to ensure manufacturability, performance, and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent with 5+ years of experience (8+ years if no Ph.D.).
• Deep expertise in semiconductor lasers and integrated photonics.
• Experience leading device development from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead semiconductor laser and active photonic-device architectures development.
• Translate requirements into device specifications, epitaxial designs, and verification plans.
• Own designs from modeling through tape-out, fabrication, and qualification.
• Define design methodologies and verification standards.
• Lead DOE activities and data analysis to improve yield and reliability.
• Collaborate with foundries, epitaxial suppliers, and process engineers.
• Provide direction and mentorship across multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Semiconductor lasers

III‑V photonics

Integrated photonics

Photonic-device modeling

Design verification

Technical leadership

Technical communication

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Optics, Photonics, Materials Science, or related field

Tools

Mask layout

Job description

IonQ is seeking a Principal Photonic Device Design Engineer to lead the design and development of semiconductor lasers and active photonic devices for heterogeneous platforms supporting scalable quantum and classical systems. You will define device architectures, roadmaps, and drive designs from concept through production qualification with cross‑functional teams.

You will mentor engineers, guide experiments, and collaborate with processing partners to ensure manufacturability, performance, and