Optical PLL Research Intern
Taara · Sunnyvale, CA
Extracted from the posting
Research internship to build an integrated optical phase-locked loop that locks an external laser for coherent reception in wireless optical links at Taara. Work spans benchtop evaluation of lasers, modulators, and analog electronics alongside physical-layer simulation. Requires enrolment in a Master's or PhD program, analog/RF and control theory background, and availability of at least 6 months, ideally 12 or more.
About Taara:
Born at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, Taara is on a mission to connect billions of people lacking abundant and affordable internet today by pioneering the way we use light to deliver faster, cheaper, more reliable connectivity. We are bringing groundbreaking wireless optical communication and photonics chip technologies to the world to bridge the digital divide.
Joining Taara allows you to work as part of a multidisciplinary team of experts in optics, software, and hardware, all collaborating to solve the hardest connectivity challenges on a global scale. If you want to tackle problems that matter and build tools with real-world impact, we would love to meet you.
About the Role:
As an Optical PLL Research Intern, you will lay the groundwork for an integrated optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) that locks an external laser for coherent reception in next-generation wireless optical links. This is a long-term project spanning lab and simulation, ideally a year or more. It could also anchor a thesis or a longer-term collaboration.
What such a loop can achieve is bounded by real components. You will evaluate lasers, modulators, and analog electronics, build benchtop experiments around them, and work toward a stable closed loop. In parallel, you will extend our simulation and use the two to check each other.
There is genuine room to shape the direction. Survey what is available, design your own experiments, and follow the evidence to the strongest design.
How you will make 10X Impact:
- Component Evaluation: Screen commercial lasers, modulators, and photodetectors. Measure what vendors do not publish.
- Loop Design: Design the loops that track carrier phase and frequency, and validate them against control theory.
- Chip Requirements: Define what the integrated OPLL needs from its laser, electronics, and loop.
- Physical-Layer Simulation: Extend our model of the link and reconcile it with measurement.
What you should have:
- 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.
It'd be great if you also had one or more of these:
- 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.
What we offer:
- 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.
