Photonics Design & Fabrication Engineer (R&D, Cleanroom)

Acceler8 Talent; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8Talent is partnering with a well-funded AI hardware startup in the Boulder area to push a fundamentally new computing architecture that combines superconducting electronics with integrated photonics.

The Photonics Fabrication and Design Engineer will own hands-on fabrication in a research cleanroom and drive the full design-build-test-learn cycle for photonic devices across silicon nitride and superconducting platforms, including SNSPDs.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in a relevant technical field.
• Hands-on microfabrication experience.
• Experience with silicon photonics or SiN.
• Understanding of passive photonic components.
• Experience with EM simulation tools (Ansys Lumerical, Tidy3D).
• Layout and tapeout knowledge (KLayout, Cadence).
• Ability to work independently in fast-moving R&D.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end prototype fabrication runs in a research cleanroom environment.
• Develop, execute, and optimize fabrication processes for integrated photonic and superconducting devices.
• Fabricate devices across silicon nitride photonics and superconducting platforms, including SNSPDs.
• Design, simulate, and optimize passive SiN photonic components (grating couplers, splitters, mode converters, edge couplers, optical I/O).
• Translate experimental processes into repeatable SOPs and stable Processes of Record.
• Contribute to PDks, component libraries, and design rules.
• Collaborate with photonics test, packaging, and systems teams to correlate device performance with fabrication data.
• Analyze fabrication results and drive process and design improvements.
• Accelerate rapid design-build-test-learn cycles across the photonics hardware platform.

Skills

Microfabrication

Photonic design

EM simulation

Layout tools

Strong communication

Education

B.S./M.S./Ph.D. in EE/Physics/Optics/Photonics/Materials Science

Tools

Ansys Lumerical

Tidy3D

KLayout

Luceda

Cadence

Job description

Acceler8Talent is partnering with a well-funded AI hardware startup in the Boulder area to push a fundamentally new computing architecture that combines superconducting electronics with integrated photonics.

The Photonics Fabrication and Design Engineer will own hands-on fabrication in a research cleanroom and drive the full design-build-test-learn cycle for photonic devices across silicon nitride and superconducting platforms, including SNSPDs.