Working on something so new, where many challenges have no existing blueprint, was both exciting and intellectually demanding.
Name: Aryan Tajne
Major: Computer Engineering
Employer: Ayar Labs
Location: San Jose, CA
How did you find the internship/co-op? What was the interview process like? I discovered Ayar Labs while browsing OFC 2025 demos and announcements. Their work immediately stood out, so I visited their website to learn more and found an opening. The interview process was well-structured. I first had an initial conversation, followed by a one-hour technical presentation with several senior engineers where I walked through previous internship work, research, and personal projects. After that, I had two additional interviews with groups of senior engineers focused on technical depth and problem-solving.
What have been the most interesting aspects of your internship? The most interesting aspect has been working directly on cutting-edge technology. I contributed to development efforts around an industry-first optical I/O chiplet enabling 8 Tbps of bidirectional bandwidth, ~10 ns per-chiplet latency, and millimeter-to-kilometer reach, all interoperating with a UCIe-standard electrical interface. Working on something so new, where many challenges have no existing blueprint, was both exciting and intellectually demanding. It pushed me to understand how multiple domains intersect: firmware, digital logic, analog mixed-signal, photonics, signaling, and system architecture.
What campus activities or courses do you think helped you, or would have helped you, with this internship? A broad set of ENEE courses helped me build the background needed to navigate the mix of signals, circuits, digital logic, and systems concepts in the role. Several CS courses, including CMSC216, CMSC330, CMSC351, CMSC398R, and CMSC421, also contributed by strengthening my foundation in systems programming, software architecture, and reasoning about complex technical problems from different angles.
How would you describe the company culture? What was the most helpful thing your supervisor did to make you feel comfortable at the organization? Ayar Labs has a highly technical, fast-paced, and collaborative culture. Firmware, RTL, photonics, packaging, and systems engineers work closely together, and decisions are grounded in data, clarity, and cross-team communication. The environment encourages ownership; interns and co-ops are trusted with meaningful, system-level work, while still being supported. Senior engineers were always open to questions, and technical discussions were detailed and transparent. My supervisor played a big role in helping me ramp up quickly by giving me context, trusting me with real responsibilities from week two, and making sure I could reach out to anyone on the team when I needed help.
How have your career or academic goals changed as a result of this internship experience? This internship showed me how compelling deep-tech engineering can be. The work requires strong fundamentals, broad domain awareness, and the ability to reason across hardware, firmware, and system-level interactions. It made me interested in pursuing similar advanced problems in the future. Academically, it also pushed me to consider a PhD more seriously. Most of the engineers I worked with had research backgrounds, and I saw firsthand how valuable that experience can be when working on frontier technology.
What advice would you give other UMD engineering students seeking an internship or co-op position? Find the area of engineering that genuinely excites you, then build toward it with intention. Do relevant projects, learn beyond what’s covered in class, and reach out to companies working on problems you truly care about. When your interests align with the work, both the application process and the job itself become much more meaningful.
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