Coherent, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California is an American company that develops, manufactures and supports laser equipment and related specialty components.

[7][b] The company made about $500,000 in sales its first year in operation, which grew to $6 million by 1970, after Coherent released its second generation product.

[4][8] In 1981, Coherent acquired the scientific division of Germany-based Lambda Physik, a manufacturer of excimer lasers.

[4] After founder James Hobart delegated management of the company, Coherent experienced numerous problems with defective products, delayed deliveries, and poor manufacturing efficiency.

[4] In July 1996, Bernard Couillaud was appointed chief executive officer and Hobart left the company the following year.

[4] In 2003, Coherent acquired Lambda Physik, which created ultraviolet lasers used in annealing in manufacturing flat-panel televisions.

[9] During his tenure, Coherent made a series of acquisitions that grew the company from $400 million to almost $2 billion in annual revenues.

The Couillaud Prize is awarded to early-career professionals pursuing ultrafast laser research with an emphasis on solving real-world problems.