Internship Projects on Silicon Photonics

Data traffic is exploding! At Lumiphase, we are on a mission to create the fastest and most energy-efficient communication chip the world has ever seen – to enable global IT infrastructure to handle this massive increase in data.

We are a young and dynamic deep-tech startup, based in the Zürich area, Switzerland.

Lumiphase was founded in 2020, after nearly 10 years of research within IBM. We currently have

50+ strong talents on the team, and we support the growth of our students and recent graduates.

Tasks

Our team hosts working students and interns for 6-12 months, beginning in Spring and Autumn every year. Upon joining, you will work in tight interaction with one or more Lumiphase R&D teams. Every year, we have internships in many different areas.

For the upcoming Autumn semester, we offer the following 4 projects:

Project 1 - Automation Engineering: Developing a new optical set up

• Enhancing existing experimental setups and developing new ones for materials processes.
• Developing high-precision and high-speed instrumentation.
• Writing integrated control software in Python for controlling measurement hardware.
• Analyzing reproducibility and accuracy of instrumentation.
• Developing reliable calibration strategies.
• Scaling designs across multiple systems or setups.

We are seeking a motivated candidate with a strong interest in electrical engineering, applied physics, and micro-scale photonics. Desired qualifications:

• Interest in working with electrical and optical measurement equipment and designing lab setups.
• Proficiency in Python programming for implementing fitting routines, communicating with measurement instruments, and performing data analysis.
• Familiarity with version control systems like Git.
• Experience with Raspberry Pi (or Linux-based OSes), microcontrollers, and/or IoT networks is a plus.
• Knowledge of computer vision techniques is an advantage.

Project 2 - Characterization of oxide thin films by X-ray and light scattering

During this internship project, you will study, measure, and analyze parameters of the epitaxial thin films using X-ray diffraction and light scattering. The results allow a better understanding of the functional properties of our devices. Your daily tasks may include:

• Develop X-ray data collection procedures for the determination of the thin film structural parameters.
• Develop the required software (Python based) for the data analysis.
• Conduct measurements, analyze data, and prepare documentation and reports.

Seeking a motivated candidate with a strong interest in materials science/engineering, physics or chemistry Desired qualifications:

• Interest in working with X-ray measurement equipment for delicate semiconductor samples.
• Good Python programming skills for implementing data reduction and analysis routines.

Project 3 - Testing Engineering: Data analysis for Silicon Photonics Characterization

During this internship project, you will collaborate closely with R&D engineers to enhance our test capabilities. You will gain understanding of our electrical and optical testing hardware, learn about our characterization methods, and engage in both conceptual and practical lab work. Your daily tasks may include:

• Running Design of Experiment to support our new development or failure analysis.
• Developing Python scripts to improve Test methods and analyzing the data.
• Sharing reports with the team.

Desired qualifications:

• Good level of Python programming and familiarity with Git repositories and SW version control.
• Some photonics, material science and data science background.
• Good analytical skills.
• Willing to spend time in the lab.

Project 4 - Testing Engineering: Developing a remote control system for a testing setup

During this internship project, you will collaborate closely with R&D and data engineers to enhance our test capabilities. You will gain understanding of our electrical and optical testing capabilities and learn about our characterization methods. Your daily tasks may include:

• Design, assemble, install and test a printed circuit board (PCB) interacting with a computer (e.g. based on Arduino or a STM32 microcontroller).
• Implement a graphical user interface to control the test system from a computer.
• Implement the needed firmware for the test system.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a strong interest in electrical engineering. What you should bring:

• Hands-on experience with circuit and PCB design programming microcontrollers.
• Experience with Python, ideally some basic experience with implementing graphical user interfaces.
• Basic experience working with lab measurement equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, lab power supply…) and soldering tools.
• Basic experience with version control (GitHub, Azure DevOps).
• Hands-on attitude.

Requirements

For all projects major requirements are:

• Strong communication skills, team spirit, and a desire to contribute within a dynamic deep-tech startup.
• Interest in learning on the go and showing good adaptability.
• Patient and curious mindset.
• Completion of a Bachelor’s program in electrical engineering, applied physics, mechanical engineering, robotics or similar field (may vary depending on the project).

Please be aware that if you are a non-EU national and your internship is not mandatory as part of your university program, we will unfortunately not be able to provide visa support.

Benefits

We have developed a unique technology to bring a material with extremely strong Pockels coefficient into a scalable silicon photonics platform. Having this physical effect available in integrated photonic circuits has been a scientific and technological breakthrough, which enables the realization of advanced photonic structures and completely new applications, e.g. for photonic AI networks and quantum computing. At Lumiphase, we are bringing this new technology to market, while at the same time developing new scientific and technological concepts. The internship projects are placed at the heart of our R&D activities and will ensure that our groundbreaking semiconductor chips can realize their full performance potential with appropriate electrical, optical and mechanical integration solutions.

In addition, we provide an agile environment with plenty of opportunities for our young talents to develop their skills and ideally to become permanent team members. And we have a lot of fun together as well!

As an intern, you will also have access to a range of benefits, including:

• Participation in social & educational team events
• Accident insurance (occupational and non-occupational)
• 2nd pillar pension scheme with AXA Winterthur (BVG)
• Daily sickness allowance (KTG)
• Financial support for public transportation
• Free weekly Yoga classes held on site

Join Lumiphase's dynamic team as an intern in Silicon Photonics. Drive innovation in communication technology and contribute to a future of faster, energy-efficient networks. Apply now and make an impact!