Photonics/RFIC Engineer - Open Rank (Mid-Senior Level) -EOSL-Onsite

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.

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The Photonics & Microelectronics Division (PMD) in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL) of GTRI is searching for a Photonic IC Engineer, with significant experience in design, tapeout, and characterization. The successful candidate will work on multiple projects within the Division, which may include building benchtop photonic subsystems, modeling results, and then reducing the design to photonic ICs. A good candidate will be enthusiastic about the broader system applications of PICs, not just designing PICs.

The Photonics and Microelectronics Division currently performs advanced research and development that involves novel photonic and RF system concepts; design & packaging of photonic integrated circuits and RF/millimeter-wave ICs; developing new materials and micro-electronic devices; and assembling spacecraft hardware. These components and sub-systems are used in a variety of applications, primarily in aerospace and national security platforms. The successful candidate will support work across the Division, as described in the Additional Responsibilities section.

The PMD team is skilled in the design, simulation, fabrication, packaging and measurement of RF and photonic ICs and subsystems; fiber optics & comms; building optical & RF subsystems with both discrete components & ICs; synthesis and deposition of advanced materials and semiconductors; materials physics and chemistry; and weathering of materials in space. PMD is a leader in the Georgia Tech Microelectronics community as well as the Space Technology community. GTRI offers a dynamic, collaborative environment, where research faculty generate new ideas for projects to serve the needs of the warfighter and national security, with opportunities to perform on projects outside their division to broaden their knowledge & experience.

A Photonics Engineer advances and matures the state-of-the-art in integrated circuits that interact with electromagnetic signals. Their research centers on the development of RFICs and/or photonic IC (PICs) technology enabled through a diverse set of material systems, including Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)-based silicon, silicon germanium (SiGe), and compound semiconductors (InP, GaAs, GaN and their associated ternary and quaternary compositions). The engineer is versed in the design and development of electronic, radio frequency, millimeter wave, and photonics design and development. Technology breakthroughs are achieved through a broad skill set covering numerous stages of the fabrication process including simulation, design, layout, packaging, and characterization of ICs, as well as integration into higher-level systems (such as board-level, component-level, and systems-level). The engineer works as part of a broad team of researchers to innovate new concepts, identify technology stakeholders, and execute challenging research in the national interest.

• Lead designer of RF/Analog IC project tasks
• Serves as a lead contributer and author to technical journals and publications
• Presents project presentations and technical reports under the supervision of more experienced engineers
• Significant contributions to technical reports and presentations
• Begin to take ownership of small team development, mentoring others
• Significant contributions to white papers and competitive proposals
• Supports sponsor engagements

• Conduct benchtop experiments in the optics laboratory using free-space and fiber optics, lasers, modulators, amplifiers, photodetectors, photonic integrated circuits, etc.
• Test, characterize, package custom ICs on a probe station
• Integrate custom photonic into functional circuit card assemblies
• Model and simulate optical systems, devices, and structures

• B.S. in electrical engineering, microelectronics, physics, applied physics, or closely related field
• Experience taping out PICs in a foundry process, including design, layout and characterization after fabrication.
• Experience with photonic component and system simulation software such as Lumerical, OptSim, VPI Photonics, Optodesigner, Cadence or similar.
• Experience with IC design and layout tools such as Cadence, Synopsis, or Klayout.
• Experience performing basic electrical and optical measurements using equipment such as spectrum analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, network analyzers, power meters, and signal analyzers.
• Strong knowledge of photonics design, fabrication, and device physics.
• Experience with common simulation tools such as MATLAB or Python.
• Strong sense of curiosity in both the technical and non-technical aspects of working in applied research.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Security Clearance

• Active Secret Clearance
• M.S. with at least 3 years relevant work experience, or a Ph.D.
• Multiple tapeouts of Photonic ICs in foundry processes such as silicon photonics, indium phosphide, or lithium niobate, including design, tapeout, and characterization of fabricated PICs. (Being specific on resume will be helpful)
• Additional capabilities in analog RF IC design, tapeout, fabrication, and characterization, in foundry processes such as GaN, GaAs, SiGe, etc.
• Additional capabilities in digital IC design in CMOS foundry processes.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor & CMOS device physics; reliability mechanisms; measuring & modeling failure analysis & reliability for discrete devices & ICs
• Characterization and test of bare RF die in a probe station; load pull measurements
• Ability to clearly communicate technical ideas to a non-technical audience

<10% travel

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 5-13 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Microelectronics, Physics, or closely related disciplines
• 3-11 years of related experience with a Masters' degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Microelectronics, Physics, or closely related disciplines
• 0-8 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Microelectronics, Physics, or closely related disciplines

Please refer to our Research Faculty Technical Level Guidelines for minimum requirements at the higher levels.

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

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