Neurophos

Neurophos

Director of Laser System Development

Austin, Texas · Director · Full-time

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 77 days ago
NLPDesign SystemsNegotiationThermal AnalysisElectrical EngineeringHardware DesignLeadership

About the role

  • This role will lead Neurophos' O-band high-power coherent laser development programs.
  • This is a senior position requiring deep technical expertise in semiconductor laser physics and the ability to drive complex photonic device development from architecture through productization.
  • The candidate must have hands-on experience driving III-V laser hardware development programs spanning multiple interdependent subsystems - laser die, SOA, driver electronics, coupling optics, thermal management, and module packaging.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design, development, and optimization of high-power coherent laser systems operating in the O-band (1260-1360 nm), targeting applications including data center interconnects, and optical AI inference engines.
  • Define and drive laser system configurations-including standalone high-power laser designs, integrated Laser + SOA topologies, and single-wavelength injection-locked master-slave architectures-to achieve high output power targets (e.g., >300 mW fiber-coupled) with high coherence, narrow linewidth, and low noise.
  • For injection-locked systems, own the locking-range analysis, injected-power-ratio optimization, and stability-margin assessment across temperature and aging conditions
  • define feedback and control requirements for maintaining lock, and validate that the electronics solutions meet system-level specs.
  • Understand and manage the coherence trade-offs introduced by SOA amplification - including phase noise contribution, gain saturation, ASE impact on OSNR, and back-reflection management - and design system architectures that meet output coherence and power requirements within these constraints.
  • Own system-level trade studies covering optical output power, coherence length, linewidth, RIN, SMSR, locking bandwidth, and wavelength stability across operating conditions.
  • Develop and validate device and system models to predict performance and guide design decisions through simulation platforms such as Lumerical, VPIphotonics, PICS3D, or equivalent.
  • Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary laser engineering team spanning laser physics, photonic integration, packaging, and test.
  • Drive program execution across in-house engineering teams and external III-V foundry and packaging partners
  • Lead design reviews, root-cause failure analyses, and risk mitigation planning for laser subsystems.

Requirements

  • 12+ years of progressive experience in laser and photonic device/system development, with at least 4 years in technical leadership or management roles.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience with high-power semiconductor laser development, including design, III-V foundry engagement, device characterization, and qualification.
  • Deep expertise in O-band laser physics and coherent system integration, including high-output-power architectures targeting narrow linewidth, low RIN, and high SMSR.
  • Experience with III-V semiconductor epi growth (InP platform), chip processing, and device-level characterization.
  • Proficiency with test and measurement systems relevant to coherent laser characterization: OSA, frequency/phase noise analyzer, self-heterodyne linewidth measurement, LIV, locking range characterization, and BERT.
  • Ph.D. in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field. M.S. with extensive industry experience will be considered.
  • Proven track record developing and qualifying Laser + SOA configurations and/or injection-locked laser systems for high-power single-wavelength output (e.g., >300 mW fiber-coupled).
  • System-level understanding of injection-locking dynamics: locking bandwidth and its asymmetry, linewidth enhancement factor (α-factor) and its role in frequency pulling and phase noise, master-slave optical path design, and stability under varying temperature and drive conditions.
  • Ability to define feedback and control requirements for maintaining injection locking over temperature and aging, and to validate that electronics solutions meet system-level specs - without necessarily designing the control loop directly.
  • Understanding of SOA behavior in coherent systems: phase noise contribution, gain saturation, ASE management, back-reflection risks, and polarization sensitivity - and how to design around these constraints at the system level.
  • Strong background in optical system-level design: fiber coupling, higher power laser packaging.
  • This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative and brilliant team. You'll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.

Skills

  • Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world.

Benefits

  • 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.
  • Unlimited PTO.
  • No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.
  • 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.
  • Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
  • Personalized Benefits.

Company info

  • At Neurophos, we offer:
  • Work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative and brilliant team.
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This listing is sourced directly from Neurophos's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.