Laser Systems Engineer

Summary

Laser Systems is QuEras laser infrastructure program owning the full lifecycle of QPU laser systems architect design build integrate and sustain across all machine generations and global sites spanning the US Japan and the team also owns fleet-level infrastructure for management of laser systems at scale.

We are seeking a Laser Systems Engineer to join this team in on focus area the role maysitin platform development and R&D system integration and deployment or operational reliability or span all all cases you will work directly with the laser systems that power our neutral atom QPUs across multiple active laser families collaborate across internal teams and with external co-development partners and contribute to a program that is central to QuEras technical roadmap.

Responsibilities

Depending on focus area responsibilities may include:

• Laser Platform Development & R&D
  • Design and develop infrastructure-grade laser systems built for repeatability modularity and field serviceability programmable optical engines with calibration-friendly architectures integrated modulators co-packaging approaches and well-defined interfaces compatible with automated control and monitoring infrastructure
  • Evaluate emerging laser technologies and co-development partner systems for technical performance integration readiness and long-term scalability
• System Integration & Deployment
  • Contribute to architecting the hosting infrastructure for quantum laser systems meeting stringent requirements for vibration isolation thermal stability noise and QPU integrability and own build integration and validation across optical electrical and mechanical interface standards
  • Own physical installation and commissioning of laser systems within QPU platforms; manage technical handoffs with build operations and development teams
  • Prepare and ship laser subsystems to domestic and international sites ensuring systems arrive integration-ready
• Operational Reliability & Support
  • Design and implement laser stabilization systems covering intensity frequency and phase noise including servo loop design locking architectures and performance characterization
  • Monitor and sustain uptime for production and development laser systems; lead triage and root-cause analysis for unplanned downtime
  • Perform precision fiber alignment and implement automated fiber coupling systems
  • Maintain SOPs QA documentation and integration records; coordinate vendor service and RMA processes as needed
  • Contribute to shaping how laser management scales with fleet growth reducing per-system overhead through novel automation approaches including AI-powered control agents and LLM-assisted workflows for complex tasks such as autonomous laser locking and heterogeneous hardware orchestration
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Hardware Software Systems Engineering Build and Operations teams to ensure seamless integration manufacturability and field readiness of laser systems
  • Contribute to laser systemtechnologyroadmaps and platform decisions that span multiple QPU generations
  • Deliver technical transfer packages and engineering documentation to support productization and new platform design

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Optical Engineering Physics Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering or a related field; equivalent hands-on experience will be considered
• Experience with laser systems optical subsystems or opto-mechanical integration in a precision or scientific instrumentation context
• Strong experimental and troubleshooting skills with a hands-on approach to engineering challenges in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams with clear written and verbal communication

Preferred Qualifications

• Deepexpertisein nonlinear optics frequency conversion techniques or high-power photonic systems
• Experience with vibration isolation thermal management and mechanical integration of precision platforms
• Proven vendor co-development experience from requirements definition through prototype and production
• Prior experience in quantum computing advanced photonics or scientific instrumentation environments
• Background in AMO experiments or quantum systems; familiarity with how laser performance requirements arise from atomic physics constraints is a strong plus
• Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (strongly preferred for R&D-focused roles)

The approximate base salary range for this position is $128000 - $208000.

We consistently monitor external market data and update base salary ranges accordingly. We determine base compensation decisions on several factors including as geographic placement role-specific knowledge skills and/or addition to our base salary offerings we also provide equity grants for all new hires.

QuEra is committed to cultivating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity in our current and future employees and do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race religion color national origin gender gender expression sexual orientation age marital status veteran status disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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