Intern, Architect - Link Architecture and Analysis

Term: May to August 2027

Please note

• Position location is on-site in San Jose Office
• There is no immigration (except F1) or relocation support for this position
• Posting expires upon application threshold

Position Description

Ayar Labs, the global leader in optical I/O chiplets, is harnessing silicon photonics to revolutionize the scaling of AI compute hardware. Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.

Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures.

As the demand for AI compute scales, overcoming the I/O bottleneck requires continuous innovation in high-speed interconnects and silicon photonics. The CTO architecture team plays a critical role in defining the future of optical I/O by pioneering analyses of electro-optical boundaries, signal integrity, and the performance limits of next-generation interconnects.

We are looking for a motivated graduate or Ph.D. intern to join our team. In this role, you will work on EIC/PIC co-optimization and model the performance of architectures. You will have the opportunities to collaborate with mixed-signal designers, photonics engineers, and system architects to evaluate NPO and CPO packaging paradigms in alignment with emerging OCI MSA specifications.

This project will be tailored to your specific background and you will be mentored by a senior link architect.

Intern Skillset Needed

• Strong understanding of high-speed SerDes architecture, signal integrity, and optical link budget.
• Familiarity with advanced packaging architectures (CPO, NPO) and electro-optical transceiver components such as modulators, photodetectors, TIAs, and drivers.
• Strong programming and data analysis skills in Python or MATLAB.
• Knowledge of emerging high-speed I/O standards and scale-up fabrics (e.g., OCI MSA, IEEE 802.3 224G, ESUN, UALink) is a strong plus.
• Independent, highly motivated, and able to work collaboratively and autonomously, self-managing time effectively to take project tasks to completion.

Education Requirements

Candidate should be actively pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering or Optical Engineering

NOTE TO RECRUITERS

Principals only. We are not accepting resumes from recruiters for this position. Remuneration for recruiting activities is only applicable subject to a signed and executed agreement between the parties. Please don’t send candidates to Ayar Labs, and do not contact our managers.

Ayar Labs is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.