About Xanadu:
Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.
At Xanadu, we are learners, innovators, researchers, collaborators and problem solvers. We are creating something that has never been built before. What we are doing is extremely hard, the classic moon shot. Few people in their life will be able to be a part of something like this, where if we are successful, the technologies we develop will solve some of the world’s most challenging problems and literally change the world. And that is something to be excited about!
Your role and responsibilities:
As part of the Hardware Team, you will work with our established team of physicists and engineers to support existing efforts to improve the performance of photon number resolving (PNR) cryogenic detectors. In this role you will contribute your experience spanning cleanroom fabrication, thin-film characterization and metrology, all aimed at fabricating state-of-the-art Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs). You will join the Fabrication Process Engineering Team dedicated to the development and optimization of fabrication processes required to build Xanadu’s photonic quantum computing hardware. A key part of the role will involve travel within Canada for cleanroom development in partner facilities. In addition, you will interface with internal stakeholders to understand the critical performance requirements of the detector technologies you will be building.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
- Ph.D. in Physics, Engineering, Experimental Sciences, or related relevant discipline
- Proven track record of 5+ years of cleanroom process development experience with a focus on device fabrication
- Experienced in the operation of clean room tools including photolithography, electron beam lithography, deposition (PVD, CVD), wet & plasma etching (ICP RIE), and characterization (AFM, SEM, ellipsometry)
- Knowledge of optical thin film stack metrology, characterization and optimization
- Experience developing cleanroom recipes and maintaining detailed process documentation
- Experience with statistical process control (SPC)
- Excellent communication skills
- Experience working in a collaborative team-based development environment
- Ability to operate autonomously in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple competing priorities
- Ability to travel between the University of Waterloo and McMaster University cleanroom facilities as needed for the near term, which requires a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle
Preferred Knowledge and Experience:
- 2+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience in Physics, Engineering, Experimental Sciences, or related relevant discipline
- Hands-on experience with CMP for the planarization of thin films and multi-layer device stacks
- Understanding the physics of optical detector technologies, including superconducting devices
- Experience fabricating and working with cryogenic detectors or their applications, for example in TES, MKID or SNSPDs
- Experience writing Python code
- Experience with large data set analysis and statistical reporting
This is for a new position. While we are primarily seeking a Photonics Fabrication Process Engineer, we are open to considering candidates for a Senior role should their experience and technical leadership significantly exceed the core requirements. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and internal benchmarks. The base salary range is 120,000 - 180,000 CAD. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
