What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Engineer, Quantum Photonics position at QUANTUM COMPUTING, INC.?
Job Title: Senior Engineer, Quantum Photonics
Location: Hoboken, NJ
Division: Technology
Department: PIC Engineering
About the Role
QCi designs and manufactures integrated quantum photonic devices on thin-film lithium niobate and related nonlinear platforms. We are hiring a Senior Engineer, Quantum Photonics to own the design, process development, and characterization of nonlinear and quantum photonic components — taking devices from concept through wafer-level fabrication and quantum-level validation. You will work at the intersection of nonlinear materials, photonic device design, and quantum optical measurement, partnering closely with our fabrication, packaging, and systems teams to move devices from the lab into scalable production.
Key Responsibilities
- Design nonlinear and quantum photonic devices — nonlinear waveguides and resonators, filters, couplers, and modulators — supported by mode, dispersion, and phase-matching simulation.
- Develop and optimize fabrication processes for nonlinear optical materials at both die level and wafer level, with emphasis on scaling wafer-level processes for repeatable, high-yield manufacturing.
- Lead device characterization: propagation loss, resonator quality factor, dispersion, and nonlinear process efficiency.
- Design and run quantum optical measurements, including single-photon detection (e.g., SNSPD), coincidence and CAR measurements, and Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference to validate source quality and photon indistinguishability.
- Own chip tapeout and mask layout, coordinating design rules with process capability.
- Partner with fabrication, packaging, and systems teams to transfer designs into production and to close the loop between measured performance and design/process changes.
- Document results, define specifications, and mentor junior engineers and researchers.
Required Qualifications
- Nonlinear materials, design, and process (die- and wafer-level). Strong background in nonlinear optical materials with hands-on device design and process development, spanning both die-level and wafer-level fabrication — wafer-level process experience is especially valued.
- Component design. Deep understanding of nonlinear and quantum photonic device design, including nonlinear waveguides, resonators, and optical filters.
- Device characterization. Hands-on experience characterizing photonic devices, including propagation and coupling loss, resonator Q, and nonlinear conversion efficiency.
- Quantum measurement. Hands-on experience with quantum optical measurement, such as single-photon detectors and Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference / coincidence measurements.
Preferred Qualifications
- 5 years of hands-on experience with thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN / LNOI) or other nonlinear photonic material platforms.
- Nanofabrication expertise: e-beam lithography, dry etch, PECVD, thin-film deposition (sputter / thermal evaporation), FIB-SEM.
- Fiber-to-chip packaging and active-alignment coupling (e.g., edge couplers, inverse tapers, photonic wire bonding).
- Photonic design and layout tools: Lumerical, COMSOL, KLayout.
- Programming for measurement automation and data analysis: Python, MATLAB.
- Publication or demonstrated track record in integrated quantum photonics or nonlinear photonics.
Education
Ph.D. in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, or a related field — or an M.S. with equivalent hands-on experience in nonlinear/quantum integrated photonics.