Staff Silicon Photonics Engineer, Receiver (Rx)

Own the receiver photonic integrated circuit from photodetector device design through tapeout on the T100 optical AI inference chip.

Originally posted 5 November 2026 by the employer.

About the role

Neurophos is looking for a Staff Silicon Photonics Engineer to lead the receiver (Rx) photonic integrated circuit for the OPU platform, including the T100 optical AI inference chip. You will own the Rx PIC from photodetector device design through chip-level architecture, tapeout, and silicon validation.

What you'll do

• Define the Rx PIC architecture, optical input coupling (free-space and waveguide), routing, demultiplexing, and dense photodetector array layout against system-level link and power budgets.
• Design and optimize high-speed photodetectors (such as Ge-on-Si PIN and avalanche, waveguide-coupled and surface-normal) for responsivity, dark current, capacitance, bandwidth, linearity, and saturation.
• Model devices and receivers using optical, electrical, and RF simulation tools, developing photodetector equivalent circuits for co-design with the TIA.
• Collaborate with the electronic IC team on the PD–TIA interface, addressing pad and interconnect parasitics, bias, input-referred noise, sensitivity, and flip-chip, 3D, or co-packaged integration.
• Lead layout, verification, and tapeout of Rx PIC test vehicles and product blocks using foundry silicon photonics PDKs.
• Support die- and wafer-level characterization for responsivity, dark current, O/E bandwidth, sensitivity, and BER to calibrate simulation models.

What you'll need

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Physics, or a relevant field.
• 3 years of relevant experience in high-speed silicon photonics focused on photodetectors and receiver PICs.
• Hands-on design experience with Ge-on-Si (or equivalent) high-speed photodetectors, balancing responsivity, bandwidth, capacitance, and dark current trade-offs.
• Proficiency with photonic and device simulation tools (such as Lumerical/Ansys, COMSOL, or Synopsys TCAD) and circuit-level modeling of photodetectors.
• Experience completing layout and tapeout in a silicon photonics foundry PDK using tools like KLayout, gdsfactory, or Cadence Virtuoso.
• Working knowledge of optical receiver fundamentals, including TIA interfacing, noise, sensitivity, and PAM4 signal integrity.

Nice to have

• 5+ years of experience developing high-speed silicon photonics receivers or photodetectors.
• Experience taking devices through the full design-to-tapeout-to-fabrication-to-test cycle.
• Experience designing large or dense photodetector arrays, or free-space and surface-normal optical coupling to photonic chips.
• Experience co-designing PDs with CMOS/SiGe TIAs in monolithic, flip-chip, or 3D-integrated receivers.
• Experience with advanced detector platforms (such as avalanche photodiodes or III-V/Si heterogeneous detectors) or a track record of publications or patents in photodetectors and receivers.

Skills: silicon photonics, PIC, photodetectors, Lumerical, tapeout, TIA interfacing

More semiconductor jobs: Photonics jobs · Sunnyvale jobs