Professional Summary

Dr. Harder started the laser diode effort in 1985 at the IBM research lab in Rüschlikon and is co-founder of the IBM Zurich Laser Diode Enterprise which pioneered, among other laser diodes, the first 980nm high power pump laser for telecom optical amplifiers. More than 1 million devices have been deployed by the Zürich Laser Enterprise. It is estimated that today more than 50% of the internet links (including intercontinental communication) are powered by these pump diodes, either manufactured in Zurich (majority) or by licensed partners. 

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Christoph Harder has also been managing the expansion of the Zurich power laser portfolio towards 14xx pump laser diodes as well as 808 and 9xx multimode pumps for industrial applications. 

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Dr. Harder has published more than 150 papers and 20 patents and has held a variety of staff and management positions at academia (ETH, Caltech), at an industrial research lab (IBM) as well as in small and big industries (Uniphase, JDS Uniphase, Nortel, Bookham and HPP).

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Since 2007 Christoph Harder has been instrumental in buiding up the Swisslaser network and he has founded Harder&Partner, a consulting company for translating research results into commercial success. He has consulted in this role major industrial companies in the photonics space as well as major telecom, consumer and industrial laser diode (edge and vertical) device companies with respect to technology, reliability, manufacturability and applications.

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Dr. Harder was General Chair and program Chair of major conferences (International Semiconductor Laser Conference, IEEE LEOS Annual Meetin, OSA annual meeting, ECOC), has served on numerous technical program and steering committees as well as on the boards of IEEE Photonics, and OSA. 

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He has received the following honors: Fulbright Scholarship, IBM Master Inventor, IEEE Aron Kressel award and Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

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.Currently he is principle partner of Harder&Partner, president of the Swissphotonics association and on various boards of real estate and technology companies as well as of technical societies.