UK Residency Programme - Optical Communications Researcher

At Microsoft Research in Cambridge we are shaping  optical interconnects that deliver power-efficient and reliable optical I/O links. We are seeking a researcher to join our team and help invent the next generation of optical interconnects. The successful applicant will be working with researchers and partner engineering teams on next-generation optical I/O for AI infrastructure. 

Current mainstream interconnect technologies face a fundamental trade-off: copper links are power-efficient and reliable but limited in reach, while optical links extend reach but often increase power and reduce reliability. Our program explores a new approach based on a “wide-and-slow” architecture (many parallel, lower-rate channels) to break this trade-off and enable scalable, manufacturable optical I/O.   

This is a unique opportunity for an exceptional researcher to work in a leading industrial research environment, collaborating closely with world-class researchers at Microsoft and engineering partners across the ecosystem.   

The residency is a two-year fixed term contract. 

• Plan and conduct research to understand the parameters affecting component-level performance in active and passive optical subsystems in novel optical I/O links. 
• Design and build analysis pipelines to draw robust conclusions from experimental data
• Model optical and optomechanical subsystems to enable both understanding of experimental results and prediction of future performance
• Propose, design and build new lab-based optical systems to test optoelectronic devices and passive optical components, including redesign of existing setups for increased automation
• Collaborate with optics, electronics and systems experts to build an understanding of the end-to-end system and the system-level consequences of component-level design decisions, defining and updating component-level test requirements as required
• Collaborate with external suppliers to help define the component specifications, inputting as necessary on external design, development, and characterisation efforts 

Required/Minimum Qualifications:  

• PhD in Physics, Photonics, Optical Engineering, Optical Communication or a related field, with publications in leading journals and conferences
• Strong background in optical and optomechanical design
• Proficiency in data analysis and test automation using software tools, e.g. Python
• Extensive hands-on experience in testing optics