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Photonics Process Design Kit Intern

Lightmatter
Mountain View, CA Intern
POSTED ON 1/13/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/13/2026
Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.

Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!

If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.

Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!

This role is for a Photonics Process Design Kit (PDK) Intern/Engineer responsible for developing and maintaining a PDK infrastructure for high-performance photonics integrated circuits (PICs). Key tasks include building PDKs for circuit layout and electrical-optical co-simulation, automating the workflow, and creating compact models for photonic devices based on characterization data. The role also involves interfacing the photonics design process with analog/mixed-signal (AMS) and digital verification teams for comprehensive optical link simulations.

Key Responsibilities

  • Build Process Design Kits (PDK) to enable high-performance photonics circuits layout and electrical-optical co-simulation.
  • Contribute to in house PDK infrastructure development, automate the workflow.
  • Interface photonics workflow with the AMS and digital verification teams for optical link simulations
  • Analyze characterization data and build compact models for high-performance photonics devices.

Qualifications

  • Pursuing PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related fields.
  • Must have deep knowledge of photonic device physics
  • Experienced with design for test of photonic devices and data analysis in Python
  • Proficiency in compact device modeling in python or verilogA
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills in problems that do not have obvious solutions

Preferred

  • Experienced in EAD tools such as Cadence Virtuoso
  • Experienced in circuit simulation tool such as spectre, spice
  • Worked with foundries

Our internship hourly rates are a standard pay determined based on the position and your location, year in school, degree, and experience.

Hourly Rate in USD: $60 USD - $67 USD

Benefits

  • Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
  • Retirement Savings Matching Program
  • Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
  • Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
  • Paid Family Leave
  • Short Term & Long Term Disability
  • Training & Development
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Flexible, hybrid workplace model
  • Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)

Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

Export Control

Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.

Salary : $60 - $67

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