Optical PLL Research Intern

The role

You will lay the groundwork for an integrated optical phase-locked loop that locks an external laser for coherent reception. This involves evaluating components, building benchtop experiments, and extending simulations.

What you will do

• Screen commercial lasers, modulators, and photodetectors.
• Measure what vendors do not publish.
• Design the loops that track carrier phase and frequency.
• Validate loops against control theory.
• Define what the integrated OPLL needs from its laser, electronics, and loop.
• Extend the model of the link and reconcile it with measurement.

Required qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Optics, Communications, or a related field.
• A strong background in analog and RF electronics and circuit design, including noise, bandwidth, and delay analysis.
• Hands-on lab experience with lasers, modulators, photodetectors, and high-speed test equipment.
• Control theory applied on hardware: closing feedback loops and diagnosing oscillation, drift, or loss of lock.
• Working knowledge of digital communications and signal processing.
• Availability of at least 6 months, ideally 12 or more, and three days per week in the Sunnyvale office.

Nice to have

• Laser Locking: Frequency stabilization, tunable sources, phase-locked loops, carrier recovery, or coherent detection.
• Photodetection & Front-End Electronics: Photoreceiver, TIA, or high-speed circuit design.
• Numerical Methods: Scientific Python (NumPy, SciPy, JAX), phase-noise modeling, or cycle-slip statistics.
• Domain Knowledge: Optical or RF communications, photonics, or fading channels.

Benefits

• Competitive salary: $7,000–$10,000/month depending on degree.
• Flexible duration to fit your academic schedule.
• Direct mentorship from industry-leading engineers in a "moonshot" environment.
• Opportunity to work on technology that has the potential to change how billions of people access the internet.

About the company

Taara is on a mission to connect billions of people lacking abundant and affordable internet by pioneering the way we use light to deliver faster, cheaper, more reliable connectivity. They bring wireless optical communication and photonics chip technologies to the world.