Co-location: SPARK Lasers, Martillac (Bordeaux area, France) and Xlim (Limoges, France)

Education: PhD degree

Experience: > 3 y

Who are we?

Founded in 1917, Institut d’Optique Graduate School (IOGS) is a world leader in higher education, research, and innovation in the fields of optics and photonics. Institut d’Optique is a founding member of Naquidis, whose objective is to facilitate the transition between fundamental research and the market for quantum technologies. Naquidis also supports the creation of startups. You will work in the development of new ultrafast fiber laser platforms dedicated to quantum applications between a top-level academic team based at the XLIM institute at Limoges (Photoniques Fibres et Sources Cohérentes) in collaboration with the company SPARK LASERS, a pioneer in the development of non-conventional wavelength fiber laser dedicated to quantum applications.  

Job description

Ultrafast lasers, initially developed in research laboratories, have gone far beyond the scope of research applications. These systems are now widely available for industrial applications (micromachining, life sciences, medical applications). Ultrafast lasers are emerging as a key enabling technology for the fast growing Quantum market, especially for quantum computing & communication, both identified as two dominant axes of the second coming quantum revolution. As a coordinator of common R&D programs between XLIM & SPARK Lasers, your daily work will be essentially experimental & at the cutting-edge of academic & industrial world. Your main mission will be to transfer world-class academic laser performances from a lab environment to the market through new SPARK Lasers products for Quantum applications.

XLIM Fiber Laser R&D team is a world class leader in the design & demonstration of high performances ultrafast fiber lasers in the MIR at non conventional wavelength with record performances in terms of pulse energy & duration.

SPARK Lasers is the structure that will promote the results of the program after transfer of know-how by the laboratory. SPARK Lasers is currently the world leader in ultrafast 920 nm lasers for biological imaging. This young company wishes to increase its product offering in the photonic quantum computing market by offering ultrafast lasers at innovative wavelengths in line with this market (for the excitation of quantum wells and single photon sources).

You role

Attached to the Naquidis Center, you will be in charge of ensuring the development and the by maturing existing laser designs but also develop new concepts within fiber amplifiers and fiber oscillators. This entails a mix of disciplines such as fiber optics, free-space optics, opto-mechanics, data collection, data processing and simulation.  

In this role you will:

• Take part in building and designing ps and fs fiber lasers. The activities span from research and feasibility to optimization and maturation of future SPARK Lasers products.
• Work in a lab environment with interaction with both academic team at XLIM but also with engineering organisation at SPARK Lasers on interdisciplinary development projects comprising optical, electronic, and mechanical challenges.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of our core technologies – spanning from development and optimization of lasers to fabrication process development.
• Specifically, work in an optical lab environment to develop optical solutions to match the ultrafast fiber laser quantum application market.

Required skills:

As a strong candidate for this position ticks all or most of the following boxes

• A relevant educational qualification (PhD level) is required, preferably gained within a photonics research environment.
• Academic or industrial experience in the field of pulsed fiber lasers
• A hands-on person who thrives in an optical lab working environment.
• Data-driven and has an analytical approach to problem solving.
• Can question complex information, challenge assumptions, and work in a structured manner.
• Fluency in the English language (written and spoken) is important.
• Comfortable working in small project teams; able to communicate at all levels.
• Ability to span both a start-up mentality but also aspire to mature things into an industrial framework.
• Passionate about what you do.

Recruitment process

We plan to invite candidates for interviews as soon as possible. If you think you have what it takes, please send your CV and a brief cover letter to us and we will be in contact soon.

First contact with Audrey DURAND, Naquidis Hub manager,

Interview with Johan BOULLET, Naquidis CTO, Sébastien FEVRIER, XLIM Researcher and Pascal DUPRIEZ, SPARK Lasers CEO.

Contacts: Audrey Durand, Johan Boullet