Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on characterization of semiconductor lasers, tunable laser sources, DFB lasers, DBR/ECL lasers, laser diodes, and semiconductor optical amplifiers.
• Measure and analyze key laser and SOA performance metrics, including output power, wavelength, optical spectrum, SMSR, RIN, linewidth, gain, saturation power, ASE, noise figure, tuning behavior, optical stability, wavelength stability, and thermal sensitivity.
• Develop advanced LIV, L-I-V-T, wavelength tuning, power stability, RIN, SMSR, linewidth, and long-term drift measurement methodologies.
• Characterize devices across current, voltage, temperature, optical loading, polarization, optical feedback, aging, and operating conditions.
• Analyze SOA gain, gain saturation, wavelength-dependent gain, polarization-dependent gain, ASE noise, carrier dynamics, thermal behavior, and nonlinear effects.
• Build, validate, and maintain automated optical and RF measurement setups using Python, PyVISA, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools.
• Use modeling and design-analysis software to support characterization planning and data interpretation, including tools for laser physics, optical gain, rate-equation analysis, thermal modeling, optical spectrum analysis, and system-level performance estimation.
• Develop scripts and software workflows for instrument control, automated data collection, calibration, data processing, visualization, statistical analysis, and automated reporting.
• Debug complex optical, electrical, RF, and thermal measurement issues, including optical coupling, polarization sensitivity, back-reflection, RF noise, grounding, calibration error, thermal drift, and instrument limitations.
• Define measurement best practices, calibration procedures, data quality checks, and test documentation standards.
• Translate characterization results into actionable feedback for laser design, photonics integration, packaging, system architecture, and reliability teams.
• Support device bring-up from early engineering samples through mature validation and production-readiness phases.
• Mentor junior engineers and help establish high-quality characterization practices across the team.
• Prepare clear technical reports, design reviews, data summaries, and recommendations for cross-functional engineering teams.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in semiconductor laser, SOA, photonics, or optical device characterization.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor laser physics, optical gain, carrier dynamics, rate equations, thermal effects, feedback sensitivity, linewidth, RIN, and optical noise mechanisms.
• Deep hands-on experience with optical and electro-optical lab measurements.
• Strong familiarity with laser characterization metrics such as threshold current, slope efficiency, wall-plug efficiency, LIV curves, SMSR, RIN, linewidth, wavelength tuning, optical spectrum, power stability, and wavelength stability.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor optical amplifiers, including gain, saturation behavior, ASE, noise, carrier dynamics, polarization dependence, wavelength dependence, and thermal effects.
• Experience operating optical and RF instruments, including laser current drivers, TEC controllers, OSAs, optical power meters, photodetectors, RF spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, bias tees, optical filters, polarization controllers, optical switches, and fiber-coupled components.
• Strong Python programming experience for instrument automation, data analysis, plotting, statistical analysis, and automated reporting.
• Experience using software tools for device design support, modeling, simulation, or data-driven analysis.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to debug open-ended device, setup, and measurement problems independently.
• Ability to communicate complex technical results clearly and drive conclusions across design, characterization, packaging, and systems teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Savings Matching Program
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Paid Family Leave
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Commuter Benefits
• Flexible, hybrid workplace model
• Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)
• Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
• Export Control
• Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.