Jobs / United States / Lightmatter INC
Staff /Sr Staff Laser Module & Systems Characterization Engineer
Lightmatter INC · 🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 21 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest May 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Lightmatter INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles4 certified filings for “Sr. Photonics Test Engineer” (Robotics Engineers) in CA: $167k–$215k, median $177k. Most were filed at wage level III (75%) — 3 lottery entries, ≈46% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Sponsor Radar — Lightmatter INC
The US Department of Labor certified 21 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest May 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 1 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Lightmatter INC →
About the role
Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads. Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter! If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders. Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light! We are looking for a Laser Characterization Engineer to join our Laser team. You will be the hands-on technical owner for bring-up, characterization, and validation of Lightmatter's laser modules and photonic systems — taking products from first-light through manufacturing qualification and production hand-off. You will work closely with controls engineers, photonics engineers, and the production team to translate module performance specifications into reproducible, manufacturable results. This is an individual-contributor role with direct ownership of test plan development, characterization, bring-up and validation execution , and the data that drives module specifications. This role requires strong laboratory experience in integrated photonics and fiber optics, as well as expertise in photonics and electronics testing, and data analysis. Analytical skills, problem-solving, and the ability to clearly communicate and document your findings are essential. Responsibilities • Lead optical performance optimization (OPO) and initial bring-up for Guide ™ Laser modules; define and execute bring-up sequences from unpowered to full operating condition. • Develop and own the bringup-to-eVT hand-off package: measurement summary, pass/fail criteria, and known-good reference data. • Own characterization campaigns involving Guide and Passage based optical links, including end-to-end link validation, channel optimization, and margin verification through the lens of Laser/Guide systems. Identify and operate to resolve link-level anomalies; close the loop with module-level root-cause analysis. • Develop structured manufacturing and characterization test plans aligned to photonics-control specs; define measurement protocols, calibration sequences, and acceptance criteria. Collaborate with control engineers to ensure test plan data supports algorithm validation and production deployment. • Write and maintain Python or MATLAB measurement automation scripts for optical, electrical, and thermal test sequences; build data pipelines to surface yield signatures and process trends. • Author clear characterization reports capturing methodology, results, and recommendations; communicate findings to cross-functional stakeholders. • Partner with the team on laser-safety interlock validation and controller characterization flows. • Interface with production on test plan deployment, NPI transitions, and manufacturing scale-up. • Experience with high-speed and optical link characterization methodologies is a plus. Required Qualifications • BS + 8 years, MS + 6 years, or PhD + 3 years in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, Photonics, or a closely related field. • Hands-on experience characterizing laser modules (DFB lasers, optical amplifiers, and other coherent sources) in a research or NPI environment with experience with DWDM optical link bring-up and validation as a plus. • Proficiency with core photonics lab equipment: