Meet Hadi Azar, Electronics Circuit Design Engineer at Quantum Dice. After starting his professional engineering career over 15 years ago at a start-up, Hadi still loves the opportunities and challenges that come with working at a growing company. Now, at Quantum Dice, he draws on a wealth of knowledge to translate quantum processes into cutting-edge circuit design. Read on to find out how designing a sensitive system based on quantum physics presents opportunities for experimentation and discover Hadi’s advice for junior engineers.
Tell me about your background – how did you come to be an engineer?
It started when I was around 15 years old, and I started learning about electronics in technical high school. I then went to the one of the top universities in Iran and completed a BE degree in electronic engineering. During my university studies, I usually worked for small companies part-time or full-time to improve my knowledge and skills in my major. Now, I have been working in this field for more than 15 years.
What was your first experience of engineering in a professional environment?
My first experience of working in engineering was while I was still at technical school actually. My cousin and his friends were running a start-up developing industrial measurement equipment, so during the summer breaks I worked there full-time up until I started my bachelor’s degree. It was where I first learned basic things about designing and testing electronic circuits and the process of producing an electronic system. The experience really helped to improve my knowledge early-on.
What professional experiences had the most impact on your career before joining Quantum Dice?
My previous jobs, especially working as a Senior Hardware Engineer at a company in Tehran for 8 years that was developing medical equipment such as patient vital signs monitoring systems. In this company, I had the chance to be part of a dynamic R&D team with different skills in designing a sensitive system following applicable medical electronic device standards, which were very strict. I also worked as a freelancer and this helped me to become an independent engineer, which is an important skill that you need to work at a start-up.
What appealed to you most about the role at Quantum Dice?
The start-up nature of the company appealed to me because I have enjoyed working for early-stage companies in the past. I like the flexibility and the opportunity to experience different areas of work. The responsibilities of this role were also very closely matched to my skills and experience. Here at Quantum Dice, I create a complete design package to include all PCB and schematic design data.
I also worked as a freelancer and this helped me to become an independent engineer, which is an important skill that you need to work at a start-up."
What aspect of your work at Quantum Dice do you find the most rewarding?
The system we work with is a very sensitive system based on quantum physics which means I get to experiment with designing a mixed-signal, high-frequency, and sensitive-to-noise system. It can be very challenging – but I like the challenge!
It is also rewarding to see the outcome of my work in the form of a product. When I worked as a freelancer, I didn’t usually see the outcome as a product, instead I would receive feedback on how it went.
Are there any upcoming projects that you are most excited about working on
I’m looking forward to working on the miniaturisation of our device. This will require working in combination with EIC (electronic integrated circuit), an area I really like to work in, and PIC (photonic integrated circuit), which is a new field for me.
Another thing I’m looking forward to is to start getting feedback from our customers who are using the QRNGs and being able to use this to improve the products further.
The system we work with is a very sensitive system based on quantum physics which means I get to experiment with designing a mixed-signal, high-frequency, and sensitive-to-noise system. It can be very challenging – but I like the challenge!"
Is it important for you to understand quantum physics to be able to design a system that leverages the properties of quantum mechanics?
I think an understanding of quantum physics can be useful for certain specialised areas in electrical engineering where the behaviour of electrons and other particles are controlled by quantum mechanics, so knowledge of quantum physics is essential for advanced research and development. However, for most everyday electrical engineering tasks, a solid understanding of classical physics and electrical principles is usually sufficient.
Lastly, what advice would you give to a junior engineer who wants to develop their career?
First of all, don’t only focus on technical skills. It is important to have the necessary soft skills too. For example, problem solving, communication skills, attention to detail, critical thinking and patience are valuable skills to have. You should constantly be looking to improve your knowledge. My suggestion for junior engineers is to put yourself out of your comfort zone, take risks, and don’t be scared of failures because this is how you will get better.
...An understanding of quantum physics can be useful for certain specialised areas...However, for most everyday electrical engineering tasks, a solid understanding of classical physics and electrical principles is usually sufficient."
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