Physicist/Scientist III – Photonics Simulation & Layout Engineer
$138,000 - $190,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 6 November 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Applied Materials is hiring a Physicist/Scientist III to join the CTO Quantum program, focusing on defining, developing, and evaluating photonic and optical technologies for scalable quantum systems. The position connects photonic simulation, layout generation, fabrication, and metrology to advance metasurface, integrated photonic, and optical inspection concepts from research to manufacturable platforms.
What you'll do
- Own electromagnetic simulation of nanophotonic, metasurface, and integrated photonic components, covering convergence validation, parameter sweeps, and optical-loss analysis.
- Design thin-film optical stacks and evaluate material and geometry tradeoffs.
- Translate optimized designs into fabrication-ready GDSII layouts using scripted and parameterized layout generation, executing design rule checks and supporting tape-out verification.
- Support mask data preparation and computational lithography activities, including OPC/RET, model calibration data, and verification.
- Correlate simulation results with metrology and optical test data to evaluate process-variation impact and develop design and process guidelines.
- Build automated Python and MATLAB pipelines for data processing, statistical analysis, and reporting.
What you'll need
- Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Materials Science and Engineering, or equivalent (completed by start date) with 0–2 years of post-Ph.D. experience.
- Ph.D. research background in nanophotonic, metasurface, or integrated photonic device simulation and design.
- Hands-on experience with FDTD (e.g., Ansys Lumerical FDTD) and/or RCWA (e.g., RSoft DiffractMOD, S4, or in-house) simulation tools.
- Programming skills in Python (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib) and/or MATLAB for simulation automation and quantitative data analysis.
- Demonstrated experience with GDSII/OASIS layout generation and scripting using tools such as KLayout, gdsfactory, or gdstk.
Nice to have
- Cleanroom fabrication experience, including e-beam lithography and dry etch.
- Optical characterization and measurement-system experience.
- Experience with OPC/RET, mask data preparation, or DRC rule decks in Siemens Calibre, Synopsys tools, or Cadence Virtuoso.
- Experience with active/passive PIC devices, wafer-level metrology, or quantum-technology applications.
- Experience using Lumerical MODE/CHARGE, COMSOL Multiphysics, or RF/electro-optic solvers.
Skills: FDTD, RCWA, GDSII, integrated photonics, metasurface
More semiconductor jobs: Applied Materials jobs · Photonics jobs · Santa Clara jobs
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 83-day median for Optical/Photonics IC Design roles.
Optical/Photonics IC Design · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
151
|
Median days open
83 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$197k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Applied Materials | All employers we track in this specialty (151 roles · 35 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 151 |
| Median days open | 22 d | 83 d (−61 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $197k |
Skills observed across this category: FDTD, RCWA, GDSII, integrated photonics, metasurface
Who's hiring in this category
- Coherent Corp · 17 open roles · median 107 d
- GlobalFoundries · 13 open roles · median 78 d
- Lightmatter · 13 open roles · median 112 d
- Lumentum · 10 open roles · median 94 d
- Marvell Technology · 10 open roles · median 49 d
- PsiQuantum · 9 open roles · median 149 d
How we counted: 151 open Optical/Photonics IC Design (Photonics) roles from 35 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 6 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there. Figures refresh nightly.