R&D Engineer - Integrated Photonics

Entangled Future; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

PsiQuantum in Palo Alto, California, seeks a mid-level R&D Engineer focused on integrated photonics to contribute to the development of silicon photonics hardware. You will work within the Engineering team on experimental setups, characterization, and software automation.

The role requires a PhD in a related field, strong hands-on experience with photonic components, and proficiency in Python for data analysis and automation.

Qualifications

• PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong experimental background in integrated optics and photonic circuit characterization.
• Hands-on experience with directional couplers, interferometers (MZI/AMZI), and phase shifters.
• Proficiency in Python for experiment automation and data analysis.
• Experience working with complex optical measurement setups.

Skills

Python for experiment automation and数据

Education

PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Directional couplers

Interferometers (MZI/AMZI)

Phase shifters

Job description

R&D Engineer - Integrated Photonics at PsiQuantum, Palo Alto, California, United States. A mid-level full time position in the Engineering team, listed under hardware engineering.

PsiQuantum’s mission is to build the first useful quantum computers—machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems. Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries. Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry—including partners like GlobalFoundries—we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don’t feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure. In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining—and that now is the time to scale. PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies—including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical—to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact. Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift—and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real. Job Summary: PsiQuantum is seeking an Integrated

Requirements

• PhD in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong experimental background in integrated optics and photonic circuit characterization.
• Hands-on experience with key components such as directional couplers, interferometers (MZI/AMZI), and phase shifters.
• Proficiency in Python for experiment automation and data analysis.
• Experience working with complex optical measurement setups.