What are the responsibilities and job description for the Intern, Silicon Photonics R&D - Design Novel 2D grating coupler position at Ayar Labs?
Term: May through August, 2026
Department: CTO Office
Please Note
Ayar Labs demonstrated the world’s first chiplet-based optical I/O. For over a decade, Ayar Labs has been the global leader in driving forward technology that harnesses silicon photonics to address the scaling problem of AI compute hardware and will revolutionize computing in the next decade. Our CTO Office photonics pathfinding team is a key contributor in defining and maintaining Ayar Labs technological leadership in the design and manufacturing of optical I/O technology in AI hardware.
We are accepting applications for a highly motivated graduate or undergraduate student intern to join our photonics pathfinding team. You will work on high-impact projects in the areas of photonic component and chip design, manufacturing and/or test. This project is specifically focused on photonic device design, test and analysis. Projects will be tailored to your prior experience and interests, and you will be mentored by a senior engineer as you work alongside world-class engineers and scientists to help drive the optical I/O revolution.
Essential Functions
Recruiters
Principal applicants only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.
About Ayar Labs
At Ayar Labs we’re about to revolutionize computing by moving data with light. We’re unleashing processing power for artificial intelligence, high performance computing, cloud and telecommunications by removing the bottlenecks created by today’s electrical I/O -- making it possible to continue scaling computing system performance. Ayar Labs is the first to deliver an optical I/O solution that combines in-package optical I/O chiplets and multi-wavelength remote light sources to replace traditional electrical I/O. This silicon photonics-based I/O solution enables chips to communicate with each other from millimeters to kilometers, to deliver orders of magnitude improvements in latency, bandwidth density, and power consumption.
With our strong collaborations with industry leaders and government, our deep ties to MIT and UC Berkeley, and our commitment to hiring the best engineers in photonics and electronics, joining our team gives you the opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts on challenging, paradigm-shifting work.
We are passionate about delivering in-package optical I/O at scale, leveraging the strength of our patent portfolio and our team of leading interdisciplinary experts. We believe that deep cross-collaboration between teams facilitated by honest, open debate is the best way to drive innovation and achieve big wins. Join our team and experience the possibilities.
Ayar Labs is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.
Department: CTO Office
Please Note
- Position location is on-site in San Jose Office
- There is no immigration or relocation support for this position
- Posting expires upon application threshold
Ayar Labs demonstrated the world’s first chiplet-based optical I/O. For over a decade, Ayar Labs has been the global leader in driving forward technology that harnesses silicon photonics to address the scaling problem of AI compute hardware and will revolutionize computing in the next decade. Our CTO Office photonics pathfinding team is a key contributor in defining and maintaining Ayar Labs technological leadership in the design and manufacturing of optical I/O technology in AI hardware.
We are accepting applications for a highly motivated graduate or undergraduate student intern to join our photonics pathfinding team. You will work on high-impact projects in the areas of photonic component and chip design, manufacturing and/or test. This project is specifically focused on photonic device design, test and analysis. Projects will be tailored to your prior experience and interests, and you will be mentored by a senior engineer as you work alongside world-class engineers and scientists to help drive the optical I/O revolution.
Essential Functions
- Photonic device design, test and analysis.
- Actively pursuing a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. degree in the area of integrated photonics, in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
- Previous experience with electromagnetic simulations for photonics including mode solvers and FDTD.
- Programming skills in Python and environments like VS Code
- The ideal candidate is a highly motivated student who is able to work independently and collaboratively, and can self-manage time effectively to bring projects to completion.
Recruiters
Principal applicants only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.
About Ayar Labs
At Ayar Labs we’re about to revolutionize computing by moving data with light. We’re unleashing processing power for artificial intelligence, high performance computing, cloud and telecommunications by removing the bottlenecks created by today’s electrical I/O -- making it possible to continue scaling computing system performance. Ayar Labs is the first to deliver an optical I/O solution that combines in-package optical I/O chiplets and multi-wavelength remote light sources to replace traditional electrical I/O. This silicon photonics-based I/O solution enables chips to communicate with each other from millimeters to kilometers, to deliver orders of magnitude improvements in latency, bandwidth density, and power consumption.
With our strong collaborations with industry leaders and government, our deep ties to MIT and UC Berkeley, and our commitment to hiring the best engineers in photonics and electronics, joining our team gives you the opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts on challenging, paradigm-shifting work.
We are passionate about delivering in-package optical I/O at scale, leveraging the strength of our patent portfolio and our team of leading interdisciplinary experts. We believe that deep cross-collaboration between teams facilitated by honest, open debate is the best way to drive innovation and achieve big wins. Join our team and experience the possibilities.
Ayar Labs is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.
Salary : $44 - $55