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Xcimer Energy

Develops inertial fusion power using laser

Optical Engineer

Hardware EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeDenver, CO, USA$127.5k - $182.5k /yr

About the Job

Requirements

  • A Bachelor of Science degree in optical engineering or a related field.
  • At least 5 years of optical engineering experience.
  • Demonstrated ownership of an optical system or subsystem from concept through hardware, including setting requirements, driving sourcing and fabrication, and leading verification and validation.
  • Proficiency in commercially available optical design software, with FRED and Zemax preferred, and computational tools such as MATLAB or Python.
  • Proficiency in optical system tolerancing based on achievable fabrication limits and statistical representations of optical system performance.
  • Fluency in optical design using best practices and optimization methods with common imaging-based and beam quality metrics.
  • Experience in optical system or subsystem integration and precision alignment techniques using instrumentation such as theodolites, autocollimators, and laser trackers.
  • Experience performing optical metrology, including interferometric measurements of optical surfaces, surface scatter characterization, and part inspection.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Responsibilities

  • Own the optical architecture and performance of laser beamlines and diagnostic systems, from first-principles system calculations through detailed design.
  • Build analysis of laser beamlines and diagnostics, including alignment design, tolerancing, and component specifications.
  • Set optical performance requirements that drive mount design and lead iteration with the opto-mechanical team to converge mount requirements and system performance.
  • Work with optical physicists and electrical and mechanical engineers to design active beam control systems, including adaptive optics and tracking systems.
  • Source optical components, including optical elements, coatings, cameras, and active beam control components, and build and maintain strategic supplier relationships that support the program roadmap.
  • Lead integration, precision alignment, and test campaigns for laser and diagnostic systems, and establish or improve the methods and best practices the broader team uses.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience in the design of adaptive optics and tracking (beam pointing stabilization) systems.
  • Experience in high-fidelity physical wave optics propagation in the near and far fields.
  • Experience in high-energy optical systems working in the deep ultraviolet.

About the Company

Xcimer Energy

Develops inertial fusion power using laser

Xcimer Energy develops inertial fusion energy systems to provide fusion-powered electricity. Its core setup combines a 10+ megajoule KrF laser, a consumable hydrogen fusion target, and a HYLIFE-style chamber with a liquid-lithium wall to absorb energy and protect the reactor. The laser compresses and ignites the hydrogen target to release fusion energy, which is then captured and sent to a power conversion system. The company aims to offer economical, scalable fusion power for utility-scale electricity generation within the next decade.

Company size
51-200
Company stage
Grant
Total funding
$148.3M
Headquarters
Denver, CO
Founded
2021

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