Six Figure Work

Senior Photonic Circuit Quantum Engineer

Applied Materials

Company websiteappliedmaterials.com (Applied Materials, opens in new tab)

Base salary $161K  to $221K

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Santa Clara, CA

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  • LocationSanta Clara, CA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (38 min ago) · observed since

About this job

Who We Are


Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.


What We Offer


Salary:

$161,000.00 - $221,000.00

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

Applied Materials, Inc. is the global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations Make Possible® the technology shaping the future.

At Applied’s CTO group, we focus on enabling technologies for quantum information applications, i.e. superconducting qubits and optical quantum computing. Our primary objective is to collaborate with system companies and universities to develop quantum devices with significantly lower error rates compared to current standards. Our approach centers on harnessing state of the art materials engineering and semiconductor processing to enhance device performance.

To advance our quantum technology initiatives, we are seeking a Senior Photonic Circuit Quantum Engineer with a strong background in quantum photonics and atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics. The ideal candidate will be able to translate system-level quantum computing and control requirements into scalable photonic device solutions, including PICs and metasurfaces, with experience across device design, fabrication, and characterization highly desirable. The role will leverage advanced CMOS materials, processes, and manufacturing capabilities to develop next-generation photonic integrated circuits and meta-optics, connecting qubit and quantum-system needs with advanced materials, photonic device engineering, and scalable semiconductor manufacturing.

We value people and teams who turn possibilities into reality. We are deeply committed to fostering a Culture of Inclusion where every person knows they belong, feels empowered to bring their whole self to work, and is inspired to grow.

Responsibilities

  • Translate quantum-system requirements into photonic device specifications, including wavelength, optical power, loss, phase, polarization, beam shaping, stability, and optical interfaces.
  • Design and develop quantum photonic devices for quantum computing and control applications.
  • Develop and optimize fabrication processes for quantum photonic devices, including materials, deposition, lithography, etch, interfaces, and heterogeneous integration.
  • Perform optical and electrical characterization of photonic devices and correlate performance with design, materials, and fabrication.
  • Work closely with quantum physicists and system engineers to translate system-level requirements into scalable photonic solutions.
  • Design experiments, analyze data, troubleshoot complex device and process issues, and drive improvements in performance, yield, and reproducibility.
  • Evaluate new photonic materials, integration technologies, packaging approaches, and characterization techniques.
  • Collaborate across physics, photonics, materials, process engineering, packaging, and quantum-system teams.

Functional Knowledge

  • Demonstrates depth and/or breadth of expertise in own specialized discipline or field 

Business Expertise

  • Interprets internal/external business challenges and recommends best practices to improve products, processes or services

Leadership

  • May lead functional teams or projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity 

Problem Solving

  • Leads others to solve complex problems; uses sophisticated analytical thought to exercise judgment and identify innovative solutions

Impact

  • Impacts the achievement of customer, operational, project or service objectives; work is guided by functional policies

Interpersonal Skills

  • Communicates difficult concepts and negotiates with others to adopt a different point of view

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Source: Applied Materials on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($161,000) is above 50% of the 491 Science & Research roles in California listed on this site; 4 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $159,600; the middle half runs from $126,066 to $200,000.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 8, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Applied Materials roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Applied Materials roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Senior Photonic Circuit Quantum Engineer (this listing)$161K - $221K
Systems Engineer IV$161K - $221K
Advanced Packaging Integration Engineer$161K - $221K
ElectroPlating Expert$161K - $221K
Systems Engineer - RF Sensors$161K - $221K
Senior RF Systems Engineer$161K - $221K
Hardware (HW) Qualification and Development Support Team (DST) Engineer IV$161K - $221K

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Applied Materials roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-10-14
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: Santa Clara,CA

$161,000.00 - $221,000.00

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.

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