Jobs at Lightmatter

Develop and maintain photonics Process Design Kits, including Python-based layout libraries, compact behavioral models, test structures, and automated verification pipelines. Validate models against silicon measurements through data fitting and statistical analysis. Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to support large-scale photonic integrated circuit tape-outs. The role requires advanced photonic device physics, circuit simulation, Python programming, layout automation, and experience with foundry PDKs and design verification.

Define the microarchitecture for photonic communication and interconnect fabrics. Propose photonic device designs, estimate performance, power, and area, collaborate with photonic and analog engineering teams, and author, review, and validate architectural specifications for next-generation AI and HPC products.

Lead product definition, positioning, partnerships, customer design wins, rollouts, pricing, forecasting, and lifecycle management for silicon photonics products. The role focuses on Lightmatter’s Passage interconnect platform, evaluation systems, and photonics-enabled data center solutions, collaborating across engineering, sales, operations, finance, customers, and executives from early development through volume production and end-of-life.

Own the architecture and development of firmware test automation frameworks, hardware-in-the-loop infrastructure, CI/CD integration, diagnostics, telemetry, and test reporting for photonic hardware. Debug failures across firmware, boards, instruments, fixtures, and test software. Define test strategies, improve framework reliability, participate in design reviews, integrate embedded management interfaces, and mentor engineers. The role requires strong Python, embedded C/C++, CI/CD, hardware testing, and automation architecture experience.

Drives hardware systems program execution across electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering from design through production. Owns integrated schedules, resource planning, dependencies, material flow, supplier coordination, budgets, risks, and cross-functional communication. Coordinates with contract manufacturers, PCB fabricators, assembly houses, supply chain, finance, engineering teams, and executives while establishing lightweight program management processes in a fast-changing environment.

Designs and maintains software automating photonic chip bring-up, characterization, and production testing across bench and ATE environments. Develops test methods, test flows, instrument controls, data pipelines, and hardware integrations. Collaborates with hardware, characterization, and manufacturing teams, debugs hardware/software issues, supports test releases, and mentors engineers while owning test software architecture for product lines.

Own the digital architecture of Lightmatter’s Passage photonic computing product from concept through high-volume production. Architect system-level digital designs integrating analog, mixed-signal, and photonic circuits, including DSP, FEC, CRC, stabilization, tuning, and adaptation. Collaborate with chip design, RTL, verification, firmware, test, validation, product, and applications teams. Develop specifications, validate prototypes against simulations, support hardware bring-up, and create customer-facing datasheets and reference designs.

Develop embedded firmware and control software for photonic transceiver lasers, including stabilization algorithms, diagnostics, telemetry, monitoring, hardware bring-up, and automated testing. Collaborate with photonic, analog, digital, and systems engineers while debugging embedded systems and integrating management interfaces such as CMIS, OpenBMC, and DMTF standards. The role requires C/C++ and Python expertise, hardware-software integration, lab testing, and ownership of production-ready firmware components.

Conduct electro-optic testing and characterization of silicon photonics chips and components, including micro-rings, phase shifters, and Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Operate optical and semiconductor test equipment, design testing protocols, and develop automated testing systems using Python. Analyze experimental data, solve complex technical problems independently, and translate findings into actionable strategies in a photonics laboratory environment.

Own end-to-end simulation, co-design, and laboratory verification of photonic-electronic links. Develop multi-physics optical and analog models, perform corner, Monte Carlo, and PVT analyses, create link budgets, and correlate simulations with silicon measurements. Partner with photonic and analog circuit teams on architecture, specifications, interface requirements, and corrective design actions. The role requires high-speed optical lab expertise, silicon photonics experience, and proficiency in photonic, mixed-signal, and Python-based simulation workflows.

Implement and sign off complex digital blocks from synthesis through physical verification in advanced process nodes. Drive full-chip STA and timing closure, power analysis, floorplanning, IO and clock distribution, DRC/LVS cleanup, and functional/timing ECOs. Automate flows with TCL/Python/Shell, collaborate across teams, and work with EDA vendors to resolve tool issues.

The Photonics Technical Lead will create scalable laser solutions for silicon photonics AI communications, collaborating across teams to ensure design feasibility and meet performance specifications.

Lead design verification for integrated digital, analog, and photonic devices using UVM, mixed-signal/AMS methods, RNM, and emulation. Define DV methodology, create reusable testbenches, run block and full-chip verification, integrate analog IP and behavioral models, close coverage and signoff, and collaborate with architects and designers for performance and post-silicon validation.

The Sr./Principal Mixed-Signal Digital Architect will design digital circuits for photonic-based communication, collaborate with teams, and lead product development.

Develop and extend device software and firmware for photonic processors and interconnects. Define control plane, diagnostics, and monitoring; integrate with datacenter administration (CMIS, OpenBMC, DMTF). Implement security, telemetry, virtualization, and remote administration. Debug embedded systems, collaborate across hardware and software teams, and participate in customer engagements to gather requirements.

Define and specify system-level digital architectures for high-speed mixed-signal photonic communication chips. Collaborate with digital, analog, photonic, firmware, and test teams to enable SerDes, ADC/DAC, modulators, and receivers from concept through production. Produce and validate architectural specifications and work with RTL and verification teams to ensure implementation and test alignment.

Design and architect high-speed (50G+) analog/mixed-signal circuit blocks for optical transceivers, collaborate with analog, digital, photonics, and software teams to model and analyze solutions, produce and validate architectural specifications, and represent technical leadership externally.

Design and layout block- and chip-scale silicon photonic circuits from concept through tapeout and bring-up. Collaborate with analog, digital, packaging, product, and architecture teams to floorplan and integrate on-chip photonics, perform layout-driven simulation and verification, troubleshoot performance bottlenecks, improve layout/verification flows and PDKs, and support photonic product development and publications.

Lead STA sign-off and timing closure for silicon-photonics ASICs across process nodes. Develop timing constraints, run full-chip STA, automate ECOs with Tempus/PrimeTime, collaborate with RTL/DFT/architecture teams, and document best practices for synthesis through PnR and tapeout signoff.