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Salary: USD 170,000 - 200,000 / annual
Atom Computing is building quantum computers using arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms. We seek a Senior Optical Assembly & Alignment Engineer to design, build, and verify optical breadboards and laser-delivery assemblies for neutral-atom quantum computers.
You will own the bench-focused work of establishing component placement, beam alignment, polarization, and optical performance at the subsystem level, delivering verified assemblies to the system integration team.
Key responsibilities include:
- Building optical breadboards from released layouts, drawings, and bills of materials; verifying optic identity, coating orientation, and mount placement.
- Installing and aligning lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, polarization optics, and fiber-coupling assemblies to establish specified free-space beam paths and subsystem interfaces.
- Measuring throughput, power, beam profile, polarization, and coupling efficiency using wavefront sensors or interferometers as required.
- Diagnosing beam clipping, optical loss, pointing drift, polarization errors, and mount-induced alignment changes; documenting causes and performing approved adjustments.
- Establishing pre-bond alignment and fixturing with Optical Bonding Technicians; comparing measurements after curing before assembly acceptance.
- Inspecting and cleaning optical surfaces using approved methods; maintaining clean-handling and laser-safety practices throughout build, test, storage, and delivery.
- Combining optical-board assemblies into assigned subsystems and executing approved verification steps.
- Recording component identifiers, revisions, alignment references, instrument identity, raw measurements, and completed steps in subsystem travelers and release packages.
- Capturing first-of-a-kind alignment methods; proposing repeatable sequences, fixtures, and access improvements based on measured rework and repeatability data.
- Delivering verified assemblies and alignment records to System Integration & Test; diagnosing subsystem issues while preserving approved configurations.
Requirements:
- BS in optics, optical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
- 7+ years of hands-on optical assembly, free-space alignment, fiber coupling, and characterization of precision laser or photonics hardware.
- Experience building from controlled optical layouts and recording repeatable measurements for subsystem acceptance.
- Experience with neutral-atom quantum-computer optics, atomic/molecular/optical (AMO) laboratory systems, or precision scientific instrumentation preferred.
