Laser remote sensing or lidar, an acronym for “light detection and ranging” or “laser detection and ranging”, is a remote measurement technique based on the analysis of the properties of a laser beam sent back to its transmitter. The LMD addresses the scientific challenges of innovative lidar instrumentation for new observations and studies in the atmosphere on aerosols, dynamics, and greenhouse gases, particularly at the troposphere-biosphere and intra-atmosphere interfaces with applications in climate and the environment. The research projects link two fields of physics: (1) laser and optics (2) physics and chemistry of the atmosphere.

The LMD has been developing for more than 30 years, Doppler lidars for wind measurements, differential absorption lidars for the measurement of gas concentration (in particular CO2, CH4), lidars to measure the fluorescence of vegetation allowing access to key variables in the functioning of vegetation in relation to the carbon and water cycle.