Silicon Photonic Engineer – Internship

Description

Quandela is a European start up that provides photonic quantum computers that are modular, scalable, energy-efficient and accessible both on the cloud and on premise. Our team specialises in the development of both software and hardware solutions for a variety of quantum applications. We offer a wide range of services, from developing the most efficient and brightest single photons sources, to creating algorithms for quantum computers and providing cloud quantum computing solutions.

The internship project centers around the design and characterization of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) tailored for applications in photonic quantum computing.

The key tasks include the conceptualization and creation of PICs optimized for quantum computing functions, as well as conducting thorough characterizations to assess their performance in the quantum computing context.

The project aims to contribute to the advancement of quantum computing technologies by developing and understanding the capabilities of specialized photonic integrated circuits for quantum information processing.

In collaboration with a team of senior Engineers, the responsabilities are the following ones :

·       Electromagnetic simulation of passive PIC building blocks (e.g. straight waveguides, directional couplers, spot-size converters), and thermal/electrical simulations of active components (e.g. thermo-optic and electro-optic phase shifters) by using the commercial software Ansys Lumerical.

·       Layout of PICs with the Python-based software GDSfactory. The activity will consist in the arrangement of the simulated building blocks, and in the definition of their optical interconnections, to obtain the optimal design of a PIC, which will then be sent to a foundry for fabrication.

·       Measurement of the performances of the fabricated building blocks (e.g. waveguide loss, directional coupler splitting ratio, phase shifter efficiency) and of the final photonic circuit by means of CW lasers, optical fibers, manual and motorized alignment stages, and optical powermeter/camera. Both the control of the components in the setup and the data analysis will be performed with Python.

·       Optical packaging of PICs with precise hexapod alignment stages.

Requirements

  • Master of Science in Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Quantum information science, quantum technologies, or physics
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams

Benefits

A unique, challenging, international environment.

  • Strong potential for fast career development within a growing highly professional team
  • Close collaborations with national and international research groups and private companies
  • Tickets restaurant (Swile), participation to the transportation costs