Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.
Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!
If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.
Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!
We're looking for a hands-on Photonics engineer to run verification and characterization of high-speed electro-optic links. You'll spend most of your time at the bench with the EOE team, executing measurements, debugging links, and building the automation that makes characterization faster and repeatable.
Responsibilities:
- Run hands-on lab characterization and debug of high-speed electrical/optical hardware
- Characterize eye diagrams, BER, jitter, equalization, and channel impairments across process/voltage/temperature
- Build and correlate electrical/optical/EO channel models against your own bench measurements
- Execute link budget validation measurements and flag gaps between model and silicon
- Support silicon bring-up and root-cause debug alongside analog, package, PCB, and SerDes teams
- Build automation and scripts (instrument control, data pipelines, analysis) to speed up characterization
- Document measurement setups, methods, and results so others can reproduce them
Qualifications:
- PhD in EE, Photonics, Physics; or MS +3 years of relevant experience
- Hands-on experience characterizing and debugging high-speed serial links (56G/112G+)
- Working knowledge of SerDes equalization (CTLE/FFE/DFE) and signal integrity fundamentals (S-parameters, insertion/return loss, crosstalk)
- Strong bench skills: VNA, real-time and sampling scopes, BERTs, TDRs
- Comfortable building a setup from scratch and knowing when the measurement is lying to you
- Solid Python or MATLAB for instrument automation and data analysis
- Track record of closing out debug investigations at the bench
Preferred Qualifications:
- Silicon photonics or EO link exposure (modulators, photodetectors, optical test)
- ADS, HFSS, or similar simulation tools
- COM/IBIS-AMI familiarity
- Package/PCB channel measurement or de-embedding experience
We offer competitive compensation. The base salary range for this role determined based on location, experience, educational background, and market data.
- Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Savings Matching Program
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Paid Family Leave
- Short Term & Long Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Commuter Benefits
- Flexible, hybrid workplace model
- Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)
Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
Export Control
Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.
Skills Required
- PhD in electrical engineering, photonics, or physics
- Alternatively, a master's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience
- Hands-on experience characterizing and debugging high-speed serial links at 56G/112G or higher
- Working knowledge of SerDes equalization, including CTLE, FFE, and DFE
- Knowledge of signal integrity fundamentals, including S-parameters, insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk
- Strong bench skills with VNAs, real-time and sampling oscilloscopes, BERTs, and TDRs
- Ability to build measurement setups from scratch and validate measurement accuracy
- Proficiency with Python or MATLAB for instrument automation and data analysis
- Track record of completing bench-based debug investigations
- Silicon photonics or electro-optic link experience, including modulators, photodetectors, or optical testing
- Experience with ADS, HFSS, or similar simulation tools
- Familiarity with COM or IBIS-AMI
- Package or PCB channel measurement and de-embedding experience
- Capacity to comply with federally mandated U.S. export control requirements
Lightmatter Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Lightmatter and has not been reviewed or approved by Lightmatter.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for specialized photonics and AI‑hardware roles, with posted ranges and third‑party totals aligning to strong market levels. Compensation for niche roles is framed as consistent with top‑tier hardware/photonics expectations.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare is described as comprehensive, covering medical, dental, and vision in current postings. Additional protections like life insurance and disability are also called out.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants for full‑time employees are commonly included alongside base pay. Some postings also mention performance‑based equity components.
Lightmatter Insights
What We Do
Lightmatter is a startup photonics company that has pioneered a new paradigm in processor chip architecture that uses photons instead of electrons. Now the leader in the photonic AI compute “space race,” this new class of high performance semiconductors is the foundation of Lightmatter’s mission to enable the growth of computing, reduce harmful emissions associated with this growth, and democratize computing for all. Lightmatter's technology accelerates critical operations in deep neural networks, using an array of programmable photonic elements fabricated alongside transistors in conventional computer chip fabrication processes. Our close-knit team of engineers has created an integrated photonics chip and ultra-high performance interconnect that is faster, more efficient, and cooler than anything else on earth (or anything ever experienced before) to power the next giant leaps in human progress.
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