Senior Photonic Circuit Quantum Engineer - Santa Clara, CA, United States
$161,000 - $221,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 15 October 2026 by the employer.
This role focuses on enabling technologies for quantum information applications, specifically optical quantum computing.
About the role
This role involves translating system-level quantum computing and control requirements into scalable photonic device solutions, including PICs and metasurfaces.
What you'll do
- Translate quantum-system requirements into photonic device specifications, including wavelength, optical power, loss, phase, polarization, beam shaping, stability, and optical interfaces.
- Design and develop quantum photonic devices for quantum computing and control applications.
- Develop and optimize fabrication processes for quantum photonic devices, including materials, deposition, lithography, etch, interfaces, and heterogeneous integration.
- Perform optical and electrical characterization of photonic devices and correlate performance with design, materials, and fabrication.
- Work closely with quantum physicists and system engineers to translate system-level requirements into scalable photonic solutions.
- Design experiments, analyze data, troubleshoot complex device and process issues, and drive improvements in performance, yield, and reproducibility.
- Evaluate new photonic materials, integration technologies, packaging approaches, and characterization techniques.
- Collaborate across physics, photonics, materials, process engineering, packaging, and quantum-system teams.
What you'll need
- Strong background in quantum photonics and atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics.
- Experience across device design, fabrication, and characterization.
- Ability to translate system-level quantum computing and control requirements into scalable photonic device solutions.
- Experience leveraging advanced CMOS materials, processes, and manufacturing capabilities to develop photonic integrated circuits and meta-optics.
Skills: quantum photonics, photonic device design, CMOS materials, fabrication processes, optical characterization
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 72-day median for Optical/Photonics IC Design roles.
Optical/Photonics IC Design · Photonics
|
Open roles in category
129
|
Median days open
72 d
|
Median salary
$201k
|
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 (129 roles · 31 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 2 | 129 |
| Median days open | 9 d | 72 d (−63 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $201k |
Skills observed across this category: quantum photonics, photonic device design, CMOS materials, fabrication processes, optical characterization
Who's hiring in this category
- Coherent Corp · 17 open roles · median 85 d
- GlobalFoundries · 15 open roles · median 77 d
- Lightmatter · 12 open roles · median 91 d
- Lumentum · 9 open roles · median 72 d
- Marvell Technology · 8 open roles · median 101 d
- Intel Corporation · 7 open roles · median 55 d
How we counted: 129 open Optical/Photonics IC Design (Photonics) roles from 31 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 15 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.