Laser Firmware Intern - Summer 2027

Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads.

Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter!

If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders.

Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light!

About this job

Are you ready to do meaningful internship work on technology that is changing how AI systems are built? This team builds the firmware that controls the lasers inside our photonic hardware. This summer you will work on two projects: hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing that runs our firmware against real lasers, and research into deploying machine learning on embedded targets to control them. You will write code, run experiments on live hardware, and share your results with the engineers who depend on them.

Responsibilities:

• Build and extend hardware-in-the-loop test setups that run laser firmware against real hardware.

• Write automated test cases that characterize laser behavior and catch firmware regressions.

• Analyze HIL test data and report failures and performance trends to the team.

• Research approaches for deploying machine learning versions of laser control algorithms on embedded targets.

• Prototype an edge ML implementation in C/C++, benchmark it against the existing control algorithms, and present your findings.

Requirements:

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or physics

• Interest in embedded firmware, laser control, and edge machine learning

• Experience developing in C, C++, and/or Python

• Willingness and curiosity to learn from an exciting team!

Preferred Qualifications

• Research, lab, or prior internship experience in photonics, semiconductors, or AI hardware

• Publications, projects, or open-source contributions related to the role

Our internship hourly rates are a standard pay determined based on the position and your location, year in school, degree, and experience.

Hourly Rate in USD

$40 — $45 USD

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)

• Retirement Savings Matching Program

• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)

• Generous Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)

• Paid Family Leave

• Short Term & Long Term Disability

• Training & Development

• Commuter Benefits

• Flexible, hybrid workplace model

• Equity grants (applicable to full-time employees)

Benefits eligibility may vary depending on your employment status and location. Lightmatter recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

Export Control

Candidates should have capacity to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws.