Photonics Test Engineer - PIC Measurement and Automation

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Photonics Test Engineer

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Date: Jul 8, 2026

Location:
Lexington, MA, US

Company:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory

The RF and Integrated Photonics Group (Group 85) is committed to advancing technologies in the national interest by harnessing novel RF and photonic capabilities. The group's work encompasses everything from foundational research into materials and components to the development of complete RF and photonics systems. Key application areas include classical and quantum sensing and computing systems, as well as laser, radar, communications, and electronic warfare technologies.

Within the group, the integrated photonics area focuses on developing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and active photonic devices for classical and quantum applications including: microwave photonics; ion trap quantum computing; quantum sensing and communication; advanced laser, modulator, photodetector and other device development; and non-linear photonic applications. These efforts are supported by state-of-the-art on-site fabrication tools, close partnerships with universities and industry, extensive test and measurement infrastructure, and daily collaboration with the broad array of engineers and scientists within Lincoln Laboratory.

Together, the group drives innovative research to address critical challenges and advance national capabilities.

Job Description

The group seeks a highly motivated, detail-oriented, curious, and driven scientist or engineer to join our integrated photonics testing team. The successful candidate will join a close-knit, dynamic team working at the forefront of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform and systems development.

In this role, the successful candidate will perform wafer-level and chip-scale measurements on photonic integrated circuits and develop custom test systems for characterizing unique PIC chips and subsystems. As a key member of the team, they will be responsible for providing mission-critical feedback on device and system performance. The candidate will operate and maintain photonic test setups, using optical probe stations, fiber-optic assemblies, and optical or electro-optical test instrumentation to characterize devices and subsystems at the wafer, chip, and package levels.

This work will support both PIC-related research and the development of prototype systems. Responsibilities include constructing testbeds, performing measurements, collecting and analyzing data, troubleshooting device behavior, and collaborating closely with design, fabrication, and systems teams to enhance device performance, yield, and test repeatability.

A key aspect of this role is supporting both manual probe station work and automated wafer-level testing. The successful candidate will help set up, run, and maintain automated test routines. The expectation is that this individual will become an expert in PIC measurement techniques, test automation, and data processing. This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who enjoys a combination of hands-on lab work, problem-solving, and software-enabled test automation in a fast-paced photonics environment.

Requirements

* Education:

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Materials Science, or a related technical field

* At least two years of experience in photonic integrated circuit testing, ideally including both passive and active optical devices.

* Familiarity with common test equipment such as optical probe stations, tunable lasers, oscilloscopes, source meters, power meters, spectrum analyzers, and similar instrumentation

* Experience with data analysis and test scripting using Python, MATLAB, or a similar tool

* Ability to troubleshoot test setups, identify root causes of measurement issues, and document findings clearly

* Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in data collection, interpretation, analysis, and reporting, including the communication of test results through reports, plots, and summaries to relevant teams.

* Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering teams

Desired

Qualifications:

* Experience with automated wafer testing

* Familiarity with the working principles of photonic, semiconductor, or RF devices like lasers, electro-optic modulators, transmission lines, optical fiber, optical amplifiers, etc.

* Understanding of photonic device characterization such as insertion loss, wavelength response, IV/CV measurements, dark current, responsivity, or high-speed performance

* Knowledge of statistical data analysis, yield analysis, and measurement system repeatability

* Experience supporting engineering builds

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $100,200-$120,000
Experienced Hiring Range: $100,200-$150,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary…