Senior Laser Engineer – High-Power Optics for LCLS Upgrades

Stanford University; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University’s LCLS seeks a Staff Laser Engineer to advance beam conditioning, transport, and diagnostics for cutting-edge x-ray laser facilities. You will lead optical system design, alignment, and integration while collaborating with scientists and engineers across the division.

This role emphasizes reliability, uptime, and maintainability in a fast-paced environment. You will contribute to major upgrade programs, apply advanced metrology, and document procedures to support operations

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 4+ years or Master's with 3+ years in Optical/Electrical Engineering or related field
• Experience designing high-average-power and high-energy laser systems
• Experience with laser diagnostics (CCD, pulse duration, wavefront sensors)
• Extensive experience aligning lasers and optical systems
• Optical design and analysis
• Experience with optical coatings and high laser damage threshold coatings
• Ability to prepare detailed optics drawings for fabrication
• Strong documentation and collaboration skills

Responsibilities

• Develop laser and optical designs for beam conditioning, transport, relay imaging, focusing, and diagnostics.
• Support laser R&D programs and bridge R&D, engineering, and operations.
• Lead design, procurement, installation, alignment, integration, and validation of optical/optomechanical systems.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers to create optomechanical supports with precise alignment.
• Document designs and develop training and operational support plans for high uptime.

Skills

Power laser design

High-energy lasers

Laser diagnostics

Laser alignment

Optical design

Optical coatings

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's or Master in Optical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

Optical metrology equipment

Job description

Position overview:

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is an internationally preeminent science facility, operated by Stanford University at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on behalf of the Department of Energy, Office of Science. This facility provides world-leading scientific capabilities to a global user community, covering a very broad research portfolio that includes the development of advanced materials and chemical catalysts for clean energy systems; drug discovery for modern pharmaceuticals; and fundamental studies of astrophysical phenomena.

We are seeking a candidate to fill the position of Staff Laser Engineer. The successful candidate will help drive a dynamic and exciting environment, working with a diverse team of scientists and engineers developing state-of-the-art high-ager power and high energy laser facilities, laser beam conditioning, diagnostics and delivery systems for the LCLS free electron x-ray lasers experimental end stations.

Major upgrades to LCLS are currently underway, representing well over a billion dollars of investment. Over the next five years, LCLS will design and deliver a new suite of science instruments to transform this field, taking advantage of the orders-of-magnitude increase in X-ray beam power as the pulse repetition rate is increased from 120 pulses/second to 1 million/second. This drives the need for entirely new capabilities in the optical laser pump sources. In addition, a major multi-year project is underway to upgrade the LCLS facility with both kilojoule and Petawatt lasers, enabling high peak power optical and x-ray photons to combine on target, providing world-leading capabilities in the field of fusion science.

The successful candidate will join the Laser Engineering and Timing Systems department withing the LCLS engineering division and support new and existing programs through laser and optical systems design and modeling. In addition, procurement, assembly, integration, alignment, and test/verification of a wide variety of laser and electro-optical systems across LCLS is also a major component of this role. All systems we deploy must meet high availability and up-time requirements to meet the needs of a robust program for operations of these systems.

SLAC is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory operated by Stanford University and based in Menlo Park, CA.

Your specific responsibilities include:

• Work closely with other members of the engineering and scientific staff at LCLS to develop laser and optical designs for beam conditioning, beam transport, relay imaging, laser focusing, and associated laser diagnostic systemsincluding concept of operationsusing sound engineering principles to ensure the final product is reliable, available, and maintainable.
• Support laser scientists across a wide range of laser R&D programs, serving as a bridge between laser R&D, engineering, and operations.
• Lead the execution and delivery of new optical and optomechanical systems for optical pump laser conditioning, delivery, and diagnostics throughout the LCLS facility.
• Take a leadership role in the detailed design, procurement, installation, alignment, integration, and validation of these systems. Provide ongoing engineering support for operations, maintenance, and upgrades.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers and designers to develop optomechanical support structures and mechanisms for these systems, ensuring they provide suitable degrees of freedom for precise alignment.
• Document all designs and develops training and operational support plans that enable high system uptime and ease of maintenance.

To be successful in this position you will bring:

• A Bachelors degree with 4 or more years of experience, or a Masters degree with 3 or more years of experience, in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field and experience in the following areas:
• High average power laser system design and operation
• High Energy laser system design and operation
• Design and use of laser diagnostics (e.g., CCD, pulse duration, wavefront sensors, etc.)
• Extensive experience aligning lasers, and optical systems
• Optical design and analysis
• Commercial lens design and optical analysis software
• Collaboration with mechanical engineers to develop optomechanical systems
• Use of optical metrology equipment and methods
• Installation, commissioning and transfer to operations of complex systems
• Preparing detailed optics drawings for fabrication
• Familiarity with optical coatings, including high laser damage threshold coatings
• Hands-on experience installing and aligning precision optical systems
• Experience with data analysis, experimental processes, and the design and development of prototypes, equipment, and/or systems related to area of specialization
• Ability to write clear documentation, perform administrative tasks, and maintain research protocols related to scientific or engineering projects
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and collaborative work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a diverse team environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills necessary for effective collaboration

In addition, preferred requirements include:

• Experience with high-repetition-rate (hundreds of kHz), high-average-power (hundreds of watts) lasers based on Yb gain media. Areas of expertise include:
• Experience with Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (OPCPA) systems, including the design and architecture of ultrashort pulse lasers (