Andreas Fix

Andreas Fix started his academic career when he passed his diploma thesis at Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., a non-profit research institute for photonics and laser technology in co-operation with University of Hannover, Germany. Soon after he joined University of Kaiserslautern (Wallenstein group, Lasers and Nonlinear Optics) and worked on his thesis on nonlinear optics, namely on the spectral investigations of optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). During this time he primarily improved those devices based on new nonlinear optical materials such as beta-barium-borate, lithium triborate, or potassium niobate, and gave new impetus to this field of research. As a freelance coworker he helped GWU GmbH, to commercially launch devices based on his research. After > 20 years GWU is still successful in this field. During a research visit at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia he received the opportunity to employ his developments for spectroscopic applications. After passing his Ph.D thesis, Andreas Fix was engaged first as a postdoc, later as a research associate at German Aerospace Center (DLR). Here, he worked on the development and application of airborne lidar systems for atmospheric research and gained new experience in the field of atmospheric physics e.g. through a visit as a research scientist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO. In 2018, Andreas Fix was appointed Head of Lidar Department at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany Andreas Fix participated in numerous airborne field campaigns, dedicated to meteorological and climate research and satellite validation, both national and international, and developed and operated various lidar systems for this purpose. These lidar systems comprise differential absorption lidars (DIAL) for water vapor and ozone profiling, high spectral resolution lidars (HSRL) for aerosol investigations, and integrated path differential absorption lidars (IPDA) for the measurement of greenhouse gas (CH4 and CO2) columns. In recent years he also investigated the combined use of laser remote sensing and alternative remote sensing technologies such as radar or microwave profiling. As a visiting professor at University of Innsbruck, Austria he regularly gives courses on “Lidar” and “Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere” for master students of meteorology and physics. Currently, Andreas Fix’ main interest is in advancing modern laser technologies for use in atmospheric science from the ground, on aircraft and in space. For this purpose he exploited the application of optical parametric oscillators to measure atmospheric trace gases such as ozone, water vapour, methane, and carbon dioxide. On these fields, he led several research projects as a PI e.g. for the German Federal Ministry for Science and Education (BMBF) or the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2006, together with colleagues, he received the prestigious DLR Innovation award for the successful realization of a helicopter-borne lidar system for pipeline monitoring (CHARM®). This technique is still operationally employed by the gas transmission industry. Andreas Fix was co-author of the WALES mission proposal (2000), to the European Space Agency (ESA) and key technology expert for the EXCALIBUR mission proposal to ESA (2010). Currently he serves as a member for the scientific advisory group (SAG) of the joint French-German climate initiative (MERLIN) to measure methane from a small satellite platform using lidar techniques. This satellite, scheduled for launch in 2020, will comprise an OPO based transmitter. Andreas Fix was member of the Atmospheric Chemistry Validation Team of ENVISAT (ACVE-2) and the German SCIAMACHY Validation team to validate the spaceborne sensors MIPAS and SCIAMACHY on ESA’s ENVISAT satellite (2002-2012). Currently, he is member of the Sentinel-5P and MERLIN validation teams. Andreas Fix also acts as a scientific advisor to the lidar development for the British research aircraft BAe 146 and as an external expert for the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) to improve airborne infrastructure in the Netherlands. In 2015, Andreas Fix was elected member to the International Coordination-group for Laser Atmospheric Studies (ICLAS), a constituent Working Group of the International Radiation Commission (IRC). Andreas Fix has authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications. He is inventor of several patents.