PIC Characterization Engineer

About Quandela:

Quandela is a European deeptech scale-up building modular, scalable and energy-efficient photonic quantum computers. 

With more than 140 people, we develop our own hardware technologies, from single-photon sources to photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and make them accessible via cloud and on-premise systems. 

At the core of our processors are Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs): compact optical chips that route and manipulate single photons to perform quantum operations at scale. 

About this position:

You will join the Integrated Photonics team in Massy, working at the interface between design, fabrication, and system integration. 

As the number and complexity of our PICs increase, we are expanding our characterization capabilities to support both device development and structured qualification.

We are looking for an experimental profile with hands-on experience in integrated photonics characterization, typically gained through 2–3+ years of relevant experience and/or a PhD with a strong experimental component.

You will ensure reliable and rigorous characterization of PIC devices, from measurements to data analysis, while taking ownership of characterization campaigns and contributing to workflow improvements.

This is not a pure research role. It is an experimental and operational position within a growing hardware platform, with strong laboratory ownership at its core.

Requirements

What will you do? 

Characterize fabricated photonic chips 

Perform optical and electrical measurements at die level
• Measure losses, interferometric behavior, passive components, phase shifters, modulators and related devices
• Prepare and execute structured characterization campaigns
• Analyze measurement data and assess device performance

➡️ Own characterization activities 

• Operate established characterization setups autonomously
• Maintain measurement quality, calibration and traceability
• Identify experimental issues and troubleshoot measurement setups
• Contribute to setup maintenance and incremental upgrades

➡️ Improve qualification workflows 

• Develop Python scripts for measurement automation and data analysis
• Improve measurement efficiency and reproducibility
• Contribute to standardized measurement procedures and documentation
• Support statistical analysis across devices and fabrication batches

➡️ Collaborate across teams 

• Compare measurements with simulations
• Provide structured feedback to designers
• Support device selection before packaging
• Work with packaging and cryogenic activities when required

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How you'll grow?

0–3 months:
Operate under training on existing setups and take ownership of specific measurement benches. Execute reccuring characterization tasks with rigor and autonomy in the lab.

3–6 months:
Manage recurring characterization of production batches independently. Contribute to improving measurement efficiency and documentation. 

6–12 months:
Participate in refining qualification criteria, statistical monitoring, and scalable measurement workflows as production volume increases. 

Longer term:
Grow toward deeper technical ownership of characterization workflows and increased responsibility within the integrated photonics team as the platform scales. 

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What we’re looking for?

Must-have 

• Degree in Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering or closely related field (Master’s or PhD) 
• Hands on experience charactererizing integrated photonic components using lasers, fibers, alignement stages and powermeters
• Ability to operate autonomously in optical laboratory environments after training 
• Strong experimental rigor and ability to analyze measurement data
• Scripting skills for data analysis or measurement automation (Python)
• Professional English 

Important (can grow here) 

• Experience comparing experimental results with simulation data 
• Familiarity with high-speed measurements of electro-optic phase shifters 
• Familiarity with cryogenic measurements 
• Exposure to structured or batch-based testing workflows 
• Basic understanding of fabrication constraints in integrated photonics 

Bonus 

• Wafer-level measurements 
• Experience working with semiconductor foundries 
• Statistical analysis applied to yield or performance monitoring 
• Exposure to detector integration or advanced photonic subsystems 

What matters most is laboratory rigor and reliability, enabling structured characterization that supports production-scale integration.

Benefits

Join a growing quantum hardware company and contribute directly to scaling photonic quantum technologies from device characterization to system integration.

• Play a key role in the characterization and qualification of photonic integrated circuits
• Contribute to improving measurement reliability, reproducibility and efficiency as the platform scales
• Work within a multidisciplinary team at the intersection of design, fabrication, packaging and system integration

• Competitive compensation aligned with your experience and level of responsibility
• Company savings plan
• 100% health coverage (Alan)
• Transport reimbursement or mobility bonus
• Swile meal vouchers
• Access to Gymlib

If your background is slightly different from what is described above but you bring strong experimental experience in integrated photonics, we still encourage you to apply !