Intern, Photonics Test Engineering

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.

We are seeking a motivated Photonics Test Engineering Intern to support the development and automation of Test solutions for advanced Photonic IC devices. The intern will work closely with the Photonics Test Engineering team to develop measurement scripts, construct automated test flows, analyze test data, and support device configuration and debugging. This role provides hands-on experience in semiconductor Test development, combining software programming with electrical and photonic device testing on real-world products.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, debug, and maintain Test programs and measurement scripts for Photonic IC devices.
• Design and implement automated Test flows, including Test sequencing, Test parameter configuration, measurement execution, and datalogging.
• Support device initialization, firmware loading, register configuration, and digital interface communication.
• Assist in debugging hardware/software integration issues and troubleshooting test execution failures.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to improve Test coverage, measurement repeatability, Test efficiency, and reliability.
• Document Test procedures, software utilities, and Test results.

Intern Skillset Needed

• Strong programming skill in Python. Java experience is a plus.
• Basic understanding of digital electronics, electrical measurements, and semiconductor devices.
• Familiarity with data processing, debugging, and software development fundamentals
• Knowledge of firmware and embedded systems, including firmware loading, device initialization, and basic firmware/software interaction is preferred.
• The ideal candidate is a hands-on learner who is confident working with electrical/optical instruments and equipment in a cleanroom environment

Education Requirements

Candidate should be actively pursuing a B.S. or M.S in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineer, Optical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or similar field

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.