Profession photonics engineer

Photonics engineers are concerned with the generation, transmission, transformation, and detection of light. They conduct research, design, assemble, test and deploy photonic components or systems in multiple application fields, from optical communications to medical instrumentation, material processing or sensing technology.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Refractive power

    Refractive power or optical power is the degree to which an optical system, such as a lens, converges or diverges light. Diverging lenses possess negative refractive power, while converging lenses possess positive refractive power.

  • Optical manufacturing process

    The process and different stages of manufacturing an optical product, from design and prototyping to the preparation of optical components and lenses, the assembly of optical equipment, and the intermediate and final testing of the optical products and its components.

  • Optical components

    The components and materials necessary for building optical instruments, such as lenses and frames.

  • Optical engineering

    Subdiscipline of engineering that deals with the development of optical instruments and applications, such as telescopes, microscopes, lenses, lasers, fibre optic communication, and imaging systems.

  • Engineering principles

    The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.

  • Optical glass characteristics

    The characteristics of optical glass such as refractive index, dispersion, and chemical properties.

  • Lasers

    Devices that are able to produce light through the optical amplification of the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation, such as gas lasers, solid-state lasers, fiber lasers, photonic lasers and semiconductor lasers. The spatial and temporal coherence of lasers allows for the concentration of light in one place, such as laser pointers, as well as the concentration of light in time, so that light can be produced in a much shorter time than other light and can also emit as single colour of light.

  • Photonics

    The science and technology of generating, controlling and detecting particles of light. It explores phenomena and applications in which light is used to transfer or process information, or to physically alter materials.

  • Types of optical instruments

    Possess information on the types of optical instruments and lenses, such as microscopes and telescopes, as well as on their mechanics, components, and characteristics.

  • Electronics

    The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications. Apply this knowledge to ensure electronic equipment runs smoothly.

  • Optics

    The science that studies the elements and reaction of light.

  • Physics

    The natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.

  • Mathematics

    Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.

  • Design drawings

    Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.

  • Optical equipment standards

    The national and international quality and safety standards and regulations with regards to the use and manufacture of optical equipment, including optical materials, optical components, optical systems, ophthalmic equipment, optomechanical equipment, optical measuring equipment, photographic equipment, and optoelectronic equipment.

Skills

  • Operate scientific measuring equipment

    Operate devices, machinery, and equipment designed for scientific measurement. Scientific equipment consists of specialised measuring instruments refined to facilitate the acquisition of data.

  • Adjust engineering designs

    Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.

  • Read engineering drawings

    Read the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.

  • Test optical components

    Test optical systems, products, and components with appropriate optical testing methods, such as axial ray testing and oblique ray testing.

  • Analyse test data

    Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.

  • Record test data

    Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.

  • Conduct literature research

    Conduct a comprehensive and systematic research of information and publications on a specific topic. Present a comparative evaluative literature summary.

  • Prepare production prototypes

    Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.

  • Model optical systems

    Model and simulate optical systems, products, and components using technical design software. Assess the viability of the product and examine the physical parameters to ensure a successful production process.

  • Approve engineering design

    Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.

  • Develop optical test procedures

    Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of optical systems, products, and components.

  • Report analysis results

    Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.

  • Perform scientific research

    Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.

  • Perform data analysis

    Collect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.

  • Design optical systems

    Design and develop optical and imaging systems, products, and components, such as lasers, microscopes, optical fibre, cameras, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.

  • Conduct quality control analysis

    Conduct inspections and tests of services, processes, or products to evaluate quality.

  • Design optical prototypes

    Design and develop prototypes of optical products and components using technical drawing software.

Optional knowledge and skills

coordinate engineering teams digital camera sensors cae software draft bill of materials develop product design microoptics optomechanical components train employees optomechanical engineering build business relationships use cad software provide technical documentation quality standards quantum optics circuit diagrams fibre optics communicate with customers operate optical assembly equipment perform project management create technical plans moem perform resource planning maintain safe engineering watches define manufacturing quality criteria resolve equipment malfunctions use precision tools electrooptic devices electromagnetic spectrum prepare assembly drawings perform test run optoelectronic devices electrooptics mount optical components on frames optoelectronics medical imaging technology

Source: Sisyphus ODB