Senior Photonic Engineer - Electro-Optic Modulator Design (TFLN) (m/f/d)

Your mission

About Q.ANT

Q.ANT develops photonic processors that compute with light instead of electrons. Our technology is built on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuits (PICs). It promises faster and far more energy-efficient computing for AI and high-performance applications. Join our PIC Design & Development team and help shape the next generation of photonic computing.

Your role

As Senior Photonic Engineer for Modulator Design, you own the design of TFLN electro-optic modulators. These are the core building blocks of our PICs, and their performance directly sets the speed and energy efficiency of our products. You take each design from architectural concept through electro-optical design, simulation and tape-out to validated components. You are the technical anchor for all modulator design decisions within the PIC team.

What you will do

• Conceive and design next-generation TFLN modulator architectures meet demanding computing targets
• Run the full modulator simulation chain: optical mode solving RF/microwave design, and driver–modulator co-simulation
• Support tape-outs and validate designs together with our characterization team, turning measurement results into design improvements
• Build reusable design building blocks such as PDK elements and parametric cells to shorten design-to-tape-out cycles
• Address manufacturability and process variation early in the design phase, together with our fabrication team
• Translate system-level specifications (bandwidth, Vπ, extinction ratio, drive architecture) into modulator design targets with Systems Engineering and Photonics
• Mentor junior PIC designers in modulator simulation, layout and electro-optical co-design
• Develop and document novel modulator concepts and invention disclosures that strengthen our IP

Your profile

What you bring

• Master's degree or PhD in Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in photonic device design, including at least 1 years designing high-speed (GHz) optical modulators in industrial environment
• A proven track record of designing modulators that were taped out and tested
• Solid knowledge of thin-film lithium niobate device physics (Pockels effect, waveguide design, travelling-wave electrode design)
• Hands-on experience with photonic simulation tools
• Experience with RF/electromagnetic simulation
• A good understanding of RF signal integrity and electro-optical co-design, including the driver/DAC interface
• Fluent English

Nice to have

• Circuit and link co-simulation with S-parameters, eye diagrams, link budgets
• Knowledge of photonic packaging and RF interconnects (wire bonds, RF transitions)
• Patents or publications in modulator design

Why us?

• We hire for attitude and train for skills.

• We encourage self-responsibility and accelerate professional development.

• We move fast and encourage experimentation.

• You have the opportunity to be part of developing breakthrough photonic computing technology and have a lasting impact on the future of computing.

• You can be part of a passionate international, highly skilled cross-functional team.

• You will have access to the founders of the company.

About us

Who we are and what we do

Q.ANT is a deep-tech scale-up developing photonic processing solutions that compute natively with light and deliver a scalable alternative to transistor-based systems. The analog co-processors are optimised for complex computations and enable energy-efficient performance for next-generation AI and HPC applications. In collaboration with the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart IMS CHIPS, Q.ANT operates its own pilot line for photonic chips, based on the material system Thin-Film Lithium Niobate TFLN. Q.ANT was founded by Michael Förtsch in 2018 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.