--- title: 'Nanophotonics Fabrication Engineer at Sygaldry Technologies' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/nanophotonics-fabrication-engineer-sygaldry-technologies-ann-arbor-zaj6aewcwytn' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-05' --- # Nanophotonics Fabrication Engineer at Sygaldry Technologies - **Company:** Sygaldry Technologies - **Location:** Ann Arbor, MI - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-10-29 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/sygaldry-technologies/fd800957-e9fe-4a31-b55e-3875cf09e81d ## Job description ## About Sygaldry Sygaldry Technologies is building quantum-accelerated AI servers to exponentially speed up training and inference for AI. By integrating quantum and AI, we're accelerating the path to superintelligence, and addressing the problem of rising compute costs and energy bottlenecks. Sygaldry AI servers combine multiple qubit types within a single, fault-tolerant architecture to deliver the combination of cost, scale, and speed necessary for advanced AI applications. We pioneer new domains in physics, engineering, and AI, tackling the hardest challenges with a grounded, optimistic, and rigorous culture. We're looking for individuals ready to define the intersection of quantum and AI and drive its profound global impact. ## About the Role We are seeking a Nanophotonics Fabrication Engineer to develop and execute fabrication processes for photonic devices and test structures. You will own process development, cleanroom fabrication, characterization, and yield improvement, working closely with design and experimental teams. The ideal candidate has substantial hands-on nanofabrication experience, enjoys troubleshooting complex process flows, and takes pride in careful documentation and reproducible results. ## What You'll Work On - Develop, execute, and refine multistep fabrication flows for nanophotonic devices, from substrate preparation through final inspection. - Perform high-resolution lithography, thin-film deposition, wet and dry etching, and associated cleaning and surface preparation steps. - Use microscopy and thin-film and surface metrology to assess pattern fidelity, film quality, etch profiles, and fabrication defects. - Design structured experiments to identify process limits, diagnose failure modes, and improve uniformity, repeatability, and yield. - Maintain process travelers, recipes, fabrication records, and clear documentation of process changes and results. - Collaborate with photonic designers and test engineers to relate fabrication outcomes to measured optical performance and inform design and process improvements. - Coordinate fabrication activities with shared cleanroom staff and external partners, while maintaining safe working practices and careful sample tracking. You May Be a Good Fit If You Have - A B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related field. Significant hands-on fabrication experience is especially valued. - Substantial cleanroom experience and demonstrated ownership of process development or troubleshooting for a multistep microfabrication or nanofabrication flow. - Practical experience with high-resolution lithography and pattern transfer, including an understanding of how process variation affects device geometry and performance. - Experience with microscopy and metrology for process characterization, defect analysis, and process control. - Strong experimental design and data analysis skills, with experience using Python or similar tools. - The ability to work independently, communicate results clearly, and collaborate across technical disciplines. - Fabrication of integrated photonic or other nanoscale optical devices. - Electron-beam lithography, dry-etch process development, or thin-film process optimization. - Connecting fabrication measurements with optical characterization results. - Working autonomously in shared university or partner cleanrooms. - Developing repeatable processes from early research workflows and transferring them between tools or facilities. ## How We’re Different At Sygaldry, curiosity and intellectual courage drive our work. We approach ambitious challenges with a grounded, optimistic, and rigorous culture and know that kind people build the strongest teams. We prioritize mission over ego and collaborate openly with a strong sense of shared purpose. We dream big, yet we execute with a love of detail. We’re looking for scientists, engineers, and operators to forge new paths with us at the intersection of quantum and AI. Culture & Benefits - Visa Sponsorship - We know what it takes to make top talent thrive here. We’re open to supporting visas whenever possible. - Compensation - We value your contribution and invest in your future with a competitive salary and meaningful equity. - Benefits - Your well-being matters. We provide company-sponsored health coverage to give you and your family peace of mind. - Connection - Whether it’s company offsite or casual crew socials, we make time to connect, recharge, and have fun together. - Time Off - We trust you to take the time you need. Unlimited PTO so you can rest, recharge, and come back ready to make an impact. We encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification. If you don’t think this role is right for you, but you believe that you would have something meaningful to to contribute to our mission, please reach out at letsbuild@sygaldry.com Location: This position is full-time on-site in our Ann Arbor, MI office ## About Sygaldry Technologies ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Sygaldry Technologies is building quantum-accelerated AI servers that combine multiple qubit types in a fault-tolerant architecture to exponentially speed up AI training and inference. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A) - **Headquarters**: Mountain View, California, USA (with offices in San Francisco, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan) - **Founded**: 2024 - **Founders**: Chad Rigetti, Idalia Friedson, Michael Keiser ## Core Business - **Primary industries**: Quantum computing, AI infrastructure, hardware - **Target customers**: AI companies, enterprise AI developers (B2B) requiring faster, cheaper training and inference. - **Mission**: To build the infrastructure for quantum superintelligence – enabling affordable, sustainable, personalized, and secure AI that augments human capabilities. ## Products & Services - **[Quantum-Accelerated AI Servers]**: Hardware systems that combine multiple complementary qubit modalities within a single fault-tolerant architecture. This design mimics classical computer design (e.g., RAM, storage, processor) and is intended to deliver exponential compute speedup for AI training and inference at a fraction of the cost and energy of GPUs alone. - **[Tools & Integrations]**: Software tools and APIs that allow AI researchers and engineers to integrate quantum capabilities into existing AI models and workflows, enabling faster fine-tuning, faster token generation, and new model architectures. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: $139 million raised in a Series A round (led by Breakthrough Energy and Initialized Capital, announced April 2026) [sygaldry.com](https://sygaldry.com/) plus a prior $125k seed round [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sygaldry-technologies). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Breakthrough Energy, Initialized Capital, Y Combinator (Spring 2025 batch), Nicolas Dessaigne (Primary Partner at YC). - **Growth Signals**: 10% monthly headcount growth; 21 employees as of mid‑2026; 11 active job postings; appearances in Fortune, Bloomberg, and Inc. Magazine; expanding presence in the US, Austria, and Singapore. ## Competitive Advantages - **Multi‑qubit‑modality architecture**: Sygaldry’s approach of combining different qubit types within one fault‑tolerant server is unique in the quantum industry, analogous to how classical computers use different technologies for RAM, storage, and logic. - **Experienced leadership**: Co‑founder Chad Rigetti previously founded Rigetti Computing (YC S14, NASDAQ: RGTI), a public quantum computing company. Idalia Friedson helped take Rigetti public and has deep tech policy experience. Michael Keiser brings AI/ML expertise. - **Strong funding & backing**: Backed by Breakthrough Energy and Y Combinator, providing both capital and strategic network effects. - **AI‑focused hardware**: Addresses the specific cost, energy, and scaling bottlenecks that classical GPUs face for advanced AI workloads. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling quantum‑accelerated servers for AI data centers. - Developing fault‑tolerant quantum computers that leverage multiple qubit types. - Building an ecosystem of tools, partnerships, and GTM channels to integrate quantum into mainstream AI pipelines. - Expanding the team across quantum physics, AI/ML, engineering, and commercial roles. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Described as “grounded, optimistic, and rigorous” with a focus on tackling the hardest challenges at the intersection of quantum and AI. - **Growth & opportunity**: Rapidly scaling startup (10% monthly headcount growth) with meaningful equity potential and the chance to shape foundational infrastructure. - **Work locations & flexibility**: Offices in San Francisco, CA and Ann Arbor, MI; roles range from fully in‑office to hybrid [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sygaldry). - **Team & perks**: Small, high‑caliber team (21 people) with strong alumni from Keysight, NSF, and University of Michigan. Perks not publicly detailed, but competitive for a well‑funded Series A company. - **Impact**: Directly contributing to the next generation of AI hardware, with potential breakthroughs in cosmology, materials science, and quantum gravity. ## Sources 1. [sygaldry.com](https://sygaldry.com/) 2. [Y Combinator – Sygaldry Technologies](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sygaldry-technologies) 3. [LinkedIn – Sygaldry Technologies](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sygaldry-technologies) 4. [Built In – Sygaldry Careers](https://builtin.com/company/sygaldry) 5. [Ashby – Sygaldry Jobs](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/sygaldry-technologies) ## Other roles at Sygaldry Technologies - [Office Manager & Executive Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-executive-assistant-sygaldry-technologies-ann-arbor-skxrp4fzfxnw) — Ann Arbor, MI - [Internship/Research Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/internship-research-engineer-sygaldry-technologies-ann-arbor-r0h471rxjqre) — Ann Arbor, MI - [Quantum-AI Postdoctoral Fellow](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-ai-postdoctoral-fellow-sygaldry-technologies-san-francisco-9p7ycqjahsaz) — San Francisco, CA - [Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/controller-sygaldry-technologies-ann-arbor-fwb2pjgb2w1p) — Ann Arbor, MI - [Quantum Architecture and Device Theorist](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-architecture-and-device-theorist-sygaldry-technologies-ann-arbor-y4chy6ac6dd7) — Ann Arbor, MI - [Quantum Architecture and Device Theorist](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-architecture-and-device-theorist-sygaldry-technologies-copenhagen-vte1f18hx0py) — Copenhagen, Denmark - [Quantum Error Correction Theorist](https://feeny.ai/job/quantum-error-correction-theorist-sygaldry-technologies-copenhagen-8wvc6m27q1v9) — Copenhagen, Denmark - [AI Systems Performance Architect](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-systems-performance-architect-sygaldry-technologies-san-francisco-hfc0fjdf5vc7) — San Francisco, CA - [Office Manager/Executive Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-executive-assistant-sygaldry-technologies-san-francisco-zpwwxg4ezdmx) — San Francisco, CA - [Applied AI Scientist (Senior/Principal)](https://feeny.ai/job/applied-ai-scientist-senior-principal-sygaldry-technologies-san-francisco-7vnkat6hhjnn) — San Francisco, CA