Photonics PDK Modeling Engineer - Hybrid + Equity

Lightmatter; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Flexible, hybrid workplace model

Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Med/DV

Retirement Savings Matching Program

Job summary

Lightmatter is pioneering AI data center photonics. We seek a Photonics PDK Modeling Engineer to develop internal PDKs, Python-based pcells, and robust device models.

You’ll bridge photonics device design with system verification, using Python and EDA tools to ensure accurate layout-to-simulation alignment. You will collaborate with design and architecture teams on tape-outs, validate models against silicon data, and contribute to scalable photonic IC development.

Qualifications

• Master’s +5 years experience or PhD +3 years in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or related field.
• Deep understanding of photonic device physics and device simulation experience.
• Experience building behavioral models for circuit simulators (Lumerical INTERCONNECT, Cadence, Synopsys OptSim, or Python solvers).
• Experienced in Python for modeling, automation, and data analysis with SciPy/NumPy.
• Python-based layout experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills for non-obvious challenges.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a library of pcells using Python-based frameworks with tight layout-sync.
• Create and verify physics-based behavior models for passive and active devices.
• Design test structures, develop test plans for device FOMs extraction with test engineers collaboration.
• Validate models against lab measurements; perform data fitting to align parameters with silicon.
• Implement regression testing and CI pipelines to protect legacy designs and connectivity.
• Collaborate with design, analog, digital, and architecture engineers to enable high-impact tape-outs.

Skills

Python programming

Data analysis

Object-oriented programming

Lumerical INTERCONNECT|Cadence|Synops"

Python-based layout

Numerical modeling

Education

Master’s degree

PhD in relevant field

Tools

gdstk

GDSFactory

KLayout

Cadence Virtuoso

Verilog-A/Spectre modeling

Job description

Lightmatter is pioneering AI data center photonics. We seek a Photonics PDK Modeling Engineer to develop internal PDKs, Python-based pcells, and robust device models.

You’ll bridge photonics device design with system verification, using Python and EDA tools to ensure accurate layout-to-simulation alignment. You will collaborate with design and architecture teams on tape-outs, validate models against silicon data, and contribute to scalable photonic IC development.