{"id":82265,"url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer","title":"Senior Laser & SOA Characterization Engineer","company":{"id":16141,"name":"Lightmatter","domain":"lightmatter.co","url":"https://alion.io/company/lightmatter-co","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":82,"open_postings":53,"ghost_share":0.302,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":43,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"Semiconductors","role_family":"Semiconductors","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Mountain View, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":210000,"max":265000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":265000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"HPC","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-02T19:34:12Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-01","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T11:42:28Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":123,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":123},"description":"Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.\nLightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!\nIf you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.\nLightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!\nAbout this Role\nWe are hiring a senior engineer for our Photonics Characterization team at Lightmatter. Lightmatter is redefining computing by building photonic systems that use light to enable high-bandwidth, energy-efficient AI computing.\nIn this role, you will lead advanced characterization, bring-up, validation, and root-cause analysis of semiconductor lasers, tunable laser sources, DFB lasers, external-cavity lasers, laser diodes, and semiconductor optical amplifiers. This role requires strong hands-on lab expertise, deep understanding of laser physics and semiconductor device behavior, and the ability to connect measured device performance to design, packaging, system, and reliability implications.\nYou will own complex optical and electro-optical test setups, develop robust measurement methodologies, automate characterization flows, analyze large datasets, and translate results into clear engineering conclusions. You will also work closely with laser design, photonics, packaging, systems, reliability, and software teams to guide device development from early engineering samples through production-oriented validation.\nResponsibilities\nLead hands-on characterization of semiconductor lasers, tunable laser sources, DFB lasers, DBR/ECL lasers, laser diodes, and semiconductor optical amplifiers.\nMeasure 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.\nDevelop advanced LIV, L-I-V-T, wavelength tuning, power stability, RIN, SMSR, linewidth, and long-term drift measurement methodologies.\nCharacterize devices across current, voltage, temperature, optical loading, polarization, optical feedback, aging, and operating conditions.\nAnalyze SOA gain, gain saturation, wavelength-dependent gain, polarization-dependent gain, ASE noise, carrier dynamics, thermal behavior, and nonlinear effects.\nBuild, validate, and maintain automated optical and RF measurement setups using Python, PyVISA, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools.\nUse 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.\nDevelop scripts and software workflows for instrument control, automated data collection, calibration, data processing, visualization, statistical analysis, and automated reporting.\nDebug 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.\nDefine measurement best practices, calibration procedures, data quality checks, and test documentation standards.\nTranslate characterization results into actionable feedback for laser design, photonics integration, packaging, system architecture, and reliability teams.\nSupport device bring-up from early engineering samples through mature validation and production-readiness phases.\nMentor junior engineers and help establish high-quality characterization practices across the team.\nPrepare clear technical reports, design reviews, data summaries, and recommendations for cross-functional engineering teams.\nQualifications\nPhD or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a related technical field.\n5+ years of hands-on experience in semiconductor laser, SOA, photonics, or optical device characterization.\nStrong understanding of semiconductor laser physics, optical gain, carrier dynamics, rate equations, thermal effects, feedback sensitivity, linewidth, RIN, and optical noise mechanisms.\nDeep hands-on experience with optical and electro-optical lab measurements.\nStrong 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.\nStrong understanding of semiconductor optical amplifiers, including gain, saturation behavior, ASE, noise, carrier dynamics, polarization dependence, wavelength dependence, and thermal effects.\nExperience 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.\nStrong Python programming experience for instrument automation, data analysis, plotting, statistical analysis, and automated reporting.\nExperience using software tools for device design support, modeling, simulation, or data-driven analysis.\nStrong analytical skills and ability to debug open-ended device, setup, and measurement problems independently.\nAbility to communicate complex technical results clearly and drive conclusions across design, characterization, packaging, and systems teams.\nPreferred Qualifications\nPhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Photonics, Optics, or a related field.\nPrior experience characterizing DFB lasers, DBR lasers, tunable lasers, ECLs, laser diodes, or SOAs for integrated photonics or optical communication systems.\nExperience with advanced laser-noise measurements, including RIN, linewidth, phase noise, frequency noise, optical feedback sensitivity, and relaxation oscillation analysis.\nFamiliarity with laser and SOA modeling, including rate-equation modeling, gain modeling, thermal modeling, optical feedback analysis, and wavelength tuning behavior.\nExperience using commercial or internal simulation/design tools for photonic device analysis, laser design support, or system-level optical performance modeling.\nExperience with III-V semiconductor materials, heterogeneous integration, laser packaging, fiber coupling, optical isolators, and thermal control.\nExperience with high-speed optical or RF measurements involving fast photodetectors, RF spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, LNAs, bias tees, and calibration/de-embedding.\nExperience developing automated test platforms for device characterization and validation.\nExperience analyzing large characterization datasets and creating automated dashboards or reports.\nExperience supporting reliability, qualification, or production-oriented validation of semiconductor lasers or optical amplifiers.\nDemonstrated ability to lead technical work independently, define test strategy, mentor junior engineers, and influence cross-functional engineering decisions.\nWe offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.\nSalary Range: total compensation goes beyond base salary, it also includes a new hire equity grant, annual performance-based equity, and other rewards that recognize your impact and contribution.\n$210,000—$265,000 USD\nBenefits\nComprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)\nRetirement Savings Matching Program\nLife Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)\nGenerous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)\nPaid Family Leave\nShort Term & Long Term Disability\nTraining & Development\nCommuter Benefits\nFlexible, hybrid workplace model\nEquity grants (applicable to full-time employees)\nBenefits 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.\nExport Control\nCandidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8711,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["AI Chips & Accelerators","Optics & Photonic Components"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-07-02T19:34:12Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 27 · green card filings: 1","filings_12m":27,"filings_prev_12m":14,"green_card_filings_12m":1,"median_offered_wage_usd":177679,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":17,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.615,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":123,"expected_fill_days":43,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":265000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/lightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T15:19:07Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":21311,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":16141},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=16141"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Flightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Flightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Flightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/lightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Flightmatter-senior-laser-soa-characterization-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":82265}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"lightmatter.co","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":82265},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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