Optical Characterization Engineer

About the role

Mesa Quantum is seeking an Optical Characterization Engineer to support advanced electro-optical testing and analysis of semiconductor laser devices used in chip-scale quantum sensors.

Responsibilities

• Perform optical and electro-optical characterization of quantum-optimized VCSELs and related photonic devices using laboratory and automated test setups.
• Work with senior engineers to develop, refine, and troubleshoot advanced optical characterization methods and test benches.
• Analyze measurement data and correlate device performance with design, fabrication, packaging, and operating conditions.
• Support reliability and environmental testing, including temperature-dependent testing, aging studies, and other stress-based characterization workflows.
• Contribute to the development and validation of high-volume screening & qualification methodologies, with a path toward owning test flow development as the role matures.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for VCSEL characterization, ensuring measurement repeatability, traceability, and alignment with product acceptance criteria.
• Write scripts and software tools for data acquisition, automation, analysis, and reporting.
• Help maintain and improve laboratory equipment, test fixtures, and optical benches.

Requirements

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Optics, Photonics, Materials Science, or a related field with 2+ years of relevant industry experience, or a Ph.D. in a related field.
• Solid understanding of semiconductor laser physics, including laser operation, thermal effects, and modulation characteristics.
• Hands-on experience with characterization of semiconductor lasers and optoelectronic components.
• Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation such as optical spectrum analyzers, RF spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, source-measure units, temperature controllers, photodetectors, and related equipment.
• Experience analyzing experimental data using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with VCSELs or other semiconductor laser devices.
• Experience with advanced laser measurements, including linewidth measurement, noise characterization, RIN characterization, and RF measurements.
• Experience with automated wafer-level, die-level, or packaged-device test environments.
• Familiarity with quantum sensing and atomic sensing.