Will “Photonics Technicians” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

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Job Description

Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 17-3029.08

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Photonics Technicians”

Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.
Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
Fabricate sensors to be used to control wind turbines.
Assemble components of energy-efficient optical communications systems involving photonic switches, optical backplanes, or optoelectronic interfaces.
Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
Assemble devices or equipment to be used in green technology applications, including solar energy, high efficiency solid state lighting, energy management, smart buildings, or green processes.
Compute or record photonic test data.
Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
Build photonics tools to be applied to electrical grids to detect hot spots, such as failing insulators or conductors.
Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
Perform laser seam welding, heat treatment, or hard facing operations.
Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
Set up or operate assembly or processing equipment, such as lasers, cameras, die bonders, wire bonders, dispensers, reflow ovens, soldering irons, die shears, wire pull testers, temperature or humidity chambers, or optical spectrum analyzers.
Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
Monitor mechanical factors, such as turbine load or strain information.
Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.

Related Technology & Tools

Calipers
Wire saws
Diode lasers
Hand calculators
Common path interferometers
Abrasive grinding machines
Laboratory forceps
Protective gowns
Positioning stages
Computerized numerical control CNC band saws
Monochromators
Plasma strippers
Wafer bonding systems
Laser drills
Computerized numerical control CNC drill presses
Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
Safety glasses
Fusion splicers
Multifunction digital multimeters
Optical alignment scopes
Micropositioners
Wire pull testers
Wavelength meters
Electron beam evaporators
Spectrophotometers
Micrometers
Phase-shifting interferometers
Reflow ovens
Mechanical steppers
Scanning electron microscopes SEM
Twyman-Green interferometers
Spherometers
Semiconductor parameter analyzers
Ion lasers
Electron cyclotron resonance ECR reactive ion etchers RIE
Biosafety cabinets
Wire bonders
Die saws
Hardness testers
Rapid thermal annealers RTA
Bit error rate testers BERT
Oscilloscopes
Fiber polishers
Optical power meters
Humidity chambers
Laser marking machines
Dataloggers
Chemical protective face shields
Isolators
Temperature chambers
Soldering irons
Fiber optic fault locators
Vernier micrometers
Coordinate measuring machines CMM
Spectrometers
Fire extinguishers
Loupes
Laser welders
Digital logic probes
Fabry-Perot interferometers
Shearing interferometers
Optical comparators
Digital oscilloscopes
Protective gloves
Laser heat treatment equipment
Analog oscilloscopes
Sputter deposition systems
Fiber cleavers
Personal computers
Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
Digital logic analyzers
Cutoff saws
Optical rails
Mach-Zehnder interferometers
Atomic force microscopes AFM
Lab jacks
Vacuum deposition systems
Bench refractometers
Non contact profilometers
Solid state lasers
Depth gauges
Collimators
Ellipsometers
Optical spectrum analyzers
Semiconductor detectors
Contact profilometers
Liquid dye lasers
Signal generators
Magnifiers
Logic pulsers
Autocollimators
Die shears
Die bonders
Optical mounts
Photoelectric power meters
Gas lasers
Laser cutting machines
Excimer lasers
Diffractometers
Binocular light compound microscopes
Michelson interferometers
Computerized numerical control CNC machining centers

Computer aided design CAD software
Microsoft Office
Presentation software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Image processing software
Word processing software
Database software
Microsoft Excel
SAP
Web browser software
The MathWorks MATLAB
ZEMAX Optical Design Program
Statistical analysis software
Data acquisition software