R&D Engineer - Integrated Photonics - Palo Alto, California, United States
$88,600 - $148,700 USD yearly
Originally posted 29 July 2026 by the employer.
About the role
This R&D Engineer will support the characterization and validation of advanced photonic circuits underpinning PsiQuantum's quantum computing platform. The role focuses on designing and executing experiments to test complex optical circuits and developing automated experimental workflows.
What you'll do
- Design and execute experiments to characterize integrated photonic circuits across multiple optical wavelengths.
- Test and analyze devices incorporating components such as directional couplers, interferometers, and EO modulators.
- Develop automated experimental control and data acquisition systems.
- Characterize complex integrated optics-based circuits and interpret experimental results.
- Collaborate with design teams to troubleshoot device performance and improve future iterations.
- Generate detailed reports and documentation for experimental procedures and results.
What you'll need
- 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: integrated photonics, optical circuits, photonic devices, experimental workflows, Python
This role has been open 67 days — exactly the 67-day median for Optical/Photonics IC Design roles.
Optical/Photonics IC Design · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
133
|
Median days open
67 d
|
Median salary
$195k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | PsiQuantum | All employers we track in this specialty (133 roles · 33 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 6 | 133 |
| Median days open | 124 d | 67 d (+57 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $195k |
Skills observed across this category: integrated photonics, optical circuits, photonic devices, experimental workflows, Python
Who's hiring in this category
- Lightmatter · 18 open roles · median 81 d
- GlobalFoundries · 16 open roles · median 67 d
- Coherent Corp · 15 open roles · median 75 d
- Lumentum · 9 open roles · median 62 d
- Keysight Technologies · 7 open roles · median 31 d
- Marvell Technology · 7 open roles · median 151 d
How we counted: 133 open Optical/Photonics IC Design (Photonics) roles from 33 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 5 Oct 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.