Laser Engineer
Atom Computing · Boulder, CO
- Junior
- Full-time
- $130,000 – $165,000
- Posted 2026-09-09
- Confirmed live on 25 September 2026
Job description
Job Responsibilities
• Align, tune, and troubleshoot optical and laser systems — including diode- and fiber-based lasers/amplifiers and nonlinear optical systems — to keep quantum computing hardware running reliably
• Characterize, phase-lock, and optimize laser and nonlinear optical systems to improve performance and stability
• Design and model nonlinear optical and laser/amplifier systems for new hardware builds and system upgrades
• Provide technical expertise to laser and optical projects across the team, with the goal of maximizing performance and robustness
• Take, plot, analyze, fit, and interpret data from optical testing experiments to guide design and troubleshooting decisions
• Gather project requirements from stakeholders, turn them into action plans, and keep the team on schedule with proper prioritization
• Create and maintain engineering change documentation; work from assembly drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and other written, visual, and oral instructions
• Collaborate day-to-day with experimental physicists, hardware engineers, and software engineers to integrate laser systems into the broader quantum computing platform
• Report progress, risks, and technical findings to the Laser Engineering Manager, and contribute to the team's roadmap for scaling laser systems
Experience & Education
• Bachelor's degree in Physics, Optics, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 2+ years of experience (advanced degree inclusive) using and maintaining optical, opto-mechanical, and/or laser systems
Required Qualifications
• Temperamentally suited to work at a fast-growing startup: self-motivated, humble, driven, collaborative, and comfortable with ambiguity
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with a diverse team of experimental physicists, hardware engineers, and software engineers
• Hands-on experience aligning optical elements in accordance with documented designs
• Experience with current state-of-the-art lasers/amplifiers (e.g., diode and fiber-based) and nonlinear optical materials, including characterization, phase-locking, and optimization of laser and nonlinear optical systems, plus design and modeling experience for nonlinear optical and laser/amplifier systems
• Experience with data analysis: taking, plotting, analyzing, fitting, and interpreting data from optical testing experiments
• Experience with engineering change documentation; ability to work from assembly drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, sketches, and other written, visual, and oral instructions
Preferred Qualifications
• Familiarity with Python and Git software version control
• Familiarity with Zemax, Onshape, and/or SolidWorks/CAD for designing optical and optomechanical systems
Prepare for the interview
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