2022-03-23T12:35:00-04:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
PhD Residency - Machine Learning / Physics
Internship
Mountain View, CA

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

THE FOUNDATION OF AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Our goal at X is to make the world a radically better place. In order to do that we seek fresh unexpected perspectives, from different fields, and that’s why we’re excited about you. 

Life here isn’t easy, but it’s fun. We’re trying to build things most people can’t even imagine, and we’re doing it with the hope of making a huge, positive impact on the world. You’ll be embedded into a moonshot project, where you’ll partner with team members to solve key challenges. 

This isn’t your ordinary internship. You’ll be positively challenged and pushed professionally, in ways that you may have never experienced. If this excites you - keep reading.

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP YOU CAN EXPECT:

  • To be placed on one of our confidential or public X projects
  • To get paid competitively and with Google benefits
  • To be part of a lively community of other Interns and Residents 
  • To addend colloquium and discussions with team leads from across Google, DeepMind and external organizations

DETAILS:

  • Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
  • Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
  • Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be enrolled in an academic program and working towards completing a PhD degree

WHAT YOU'LL BE WORKING ON:

  • Design silicon photonic devices that target specific performance and fabrication constraints metrics for customers. You will do this by leveraging the team’s ML infrastructure.
  • Benchmark the internal capabilities with existing commercial tools (such as Lumerical) on targeted devices.  Evaluate the state of the art optimization capability for the industry.
  • Partner closely with the optimization and simulation teams to improve the optimization capabilities and prioritize the work that will enable better designs, such as improving current topology optimizer and design workflow. 
  • Identify and explore additional high-value targets for our design efforts. Work with the design team to make them a reality. Contribute to the expansion of our IP portfolio through patent filing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • MSc. or PhD. in physics, electrical engineering, mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence or related fields.
  • Experience with  open-source and commercial PDA tools: Lumerical, Meep, IPKISS etc.
  • Proven record of Python programming experience. 
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-experts. Ability to effectively collaborate with software engineers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Strong background in optoelectronic device physics, as it relates to lasers, waveguides, modulators, detectors, etc.
  • Experience with ML packages such as Tensorflow, PyTorch or Jax.
  • Expert understanding of CMOS manufacturing process steps and constraints on the design of photonic devices
  • Strong software skills, with experience scripting and automating commercial, open source, and custom-developed software tools.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: x-accommodation-request@x.team.

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