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QuantumDiamonds is building commercial quantum sensing tools for semiconductor inspection and failure analysis. As a Photonics Engineer on the Hardware Pre-Development Team, you will take hands-on technical ownership of maturing the illumination and imaging systems of the Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM) from early concepts to lab-validated prototypes ready for handover to product development.
You will work on the earliest, most exploratory phase of optical systems: proving out innovative concepts and assessing feasibility from early ideas through lab validation. Your focus includes optimizing illumination schemes to increase photon collection efficiency and magnetic field sensitivity, and advancing imaging optics toward higher spatial resolution. You will work closely with optical designers in the Product Development Team, culminating in smooth handover of mature, validated technologies into serial-ready design.
Typical projects involve tackling fundamental technical limitations across the full quantum-sensing system—from illumination and diamond sensor to imaging—by developing and proving out new ideas experimentally in the lab. You will systematically remove optical bottlenecks to improve key system parameters such as sensitivity and spatial resolution. You will evaluate and de-risk optical concepts through simulation (e.g., ray tracing, beam propagation) before committing to hardware, deriving target requirements and predicting feasibility at an early stage. You will stay current on novel optical components, coatings, micro-optics, and modern fabrication possibilities, drawing on this knowledge to develop new approaches and turn designs into physical prototypes.
You will drive fast, iterative development cycles that de-risk new technologies and generate quick feedback through a fail-fast, fail-cheap culture. You will ensure smooth handover of mature, validated technologies to the Product Development Team, documenting methodology and findings and building close collaboration throughout.
QuantumDiamonds was founded in 2022 as a spin-off of TU Munich and leverages quantum sensors to rapidly capture three-dimensional current maps within multi-layer chips. The international team of over 70 includes physicists, engineers, data scientists, and other experts working with major semiconductor manufacturers on chip debugging and yield analysis. The company is backed by top-tier deep tech investors and strategic public programs.
**Requirements:**
- Degree in Photonics, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related field, plus a few years of relevant hands-on industry or research experience
- Strong, hands-on lab experience building, aligning, and characterizing optical setups
- Systems-level thinking to understand how illumination, optics, and the underlying physical sensor principle work together; ability to troubleshoot real-world setups, trace issues to root cause, and characterize their impact on overall sensitivity and spatial resolution
- Experience in optical system design and simulation (e.g., Zemax OpticStudio)
- Curious, exploratory mindset; comfortable testing new ideas hands-on and challenging conventional approaches
- Strong communication and documentation skills; comfortable in fast-paced, iterative environments as part of multidisciplinary teams
- Nice to have: broad, up-to-date knowledge of optical manufacturing technologies and emerging trends
- Nice to have: experience with widefield NV magnetometry or comparable microscopy technologies (e.g., fluorescence or confocal microscopy)
