Laser Design Engineer (Epi/Device)

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize III-V heterostructures and multi-quantum well (MQW) active regions for laser, SOA, and electroabsorption modulator applications, with explicit consideration of growth tolerance, process variation, and production yield;
• Develop and maintain active region simulation models using commercial tools (e.g., band structure solvers, 1-D optical confinement solvers, traveling wave laser models).
• Simulate and optimize laser waveguide geometry, optical confinement factor, far-field profiles, and cavity design parameters for manufacturability; perform grating simulation for DFB and DBR structures including coupling coefficient, stopband, and SMSR — with design margins appropriate for high-volume foundry execution, not worst-case lab conditions.
• Balance output power, threshold current, slope efficiency, SMSR, and linewidth across the full operating envelope — including temperature range and target wavelength window — for production laser devices (DFB, DBR, and related single-frequency architectures); design for specification compliance across all operating conditions, not only at nominal temperature and center wavelength.
• Design and simulate electroabsorption modulator (EAM) structures — including quantum-confined Stark effect active regions, waveguide integration, and modulation bandwidth — for integrated and stand-alone modulator products; account for the interplay between absorber bias, extinction ratio, insertion loss, and chirp in the context of real driver circuit constraints.
• Serve as the primary technical interface to epitaxy foundry partners: specify growth recipes, review and approve process travelers, evaluate growth run results, and drive resolution of material quality issues.
• Define and execute epitaxial qualification protocols — photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface scan (surfscan) metrology — and establish acceptance criteria for material qualification consistent with production requirements.
• Collaborate with device layout, process engineering, FA, and systems teams to translate simulation results and device physics requirements into manufacturable designs; communicate findings through technical reports and design reviews.

Requirements

• Deep understanding of III-V semiconductor laser device physics — heterostructure theory, MQW active region design, optical waveguiding, and cavity design — with hands-on experience applying this knowledge to devices that have been fabricated and characterized, not only simulated.
• Demonstrated experience simulating and designing laser photonic structures for real foundry implementation: waveguide modes, optical confinement, and grating design for DFB or DBR architectures — including how design margins are set to accommodate process variation and maintain yield targets.
• Experience with electroabsorption modulator device design — QCSE active region engineering, EAM integration, and modulation bandwidth optimization — for integrated and stand-alone modulator products.
• Proficiency with commercial device simulation software used to support design decisions with production intent — including one or more of: traveling wave laser model tools (e.g., VPI Photonics, Lumerical INTERCONNECT, Photon Design HAROLD), waveguide and mode solvers (e.g., Ansys Lumerical MODE, Photon Design FIMMWAVE), grating/EME solvers, and band structure or gain simulation tools (e.g., Crosslight, SiLENSe, or equivalent); scripting in MATLAB or Python for simulation automation and data analysis.
• Experience working with external epitaxy foundries: specifying growth recipes, reviewing characterization results, managing qualification cycles, and interpreting run-to-run variation in the context of product specifications.
• Working knowledge of epi qualification metrology — photoluminescence spectroscopy, high-resolution XRD, and surface scan inspection — including interpretation of results and definition of acceptance criteria tied to device performance.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline with emphasis in semiconductor photonics, optoelectronics, or III-V laser devices.
• Candidates with an M.S. or M.Eng. and a minimum of 6 years of directly relevant industry experience — including demonstrated device design ownership on products that reached production — will be considered.