Leinss, Silvan

Research Interests

My interests cover Theoretical Optics and Electromagnetism, Radar and Data Processing and Glaciology, which combine very different fields into a fruitful melange of my thesis:

"Determining Snow Properties using Synthetical Aperture Radar (SAR) Systems".

The Questions are:
- Which information about snow can be retrived from single, dual and qual polarisation SAR-images?
- What are the signatures of snow in the radar signal and how can we interpret them?
- How do we have to adjust or change the Radar systems for a better determination of snow properties?

Why should I care?
- The knowledge of snow coverage has an impact on weather, climate and is an important input parameter for runoff models to predict floods and to measure the available water sources.
- The knowledge about snow properties is an important fact to predict the risk of avalanches and for skiing.

Why Radar?
Right, snow is white and can much better been recognized with bare eyes. But:
- not if it's dark like during winter in polar regions.
- not if the sky is cloud covered.
- not if you are not there.

The TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellite missions allow global coverage on a high resolution. Radar makes it possible to look into and though the snow.

Short CV

• Since 01/2011: PhD Student in Earth Observation, Recognition of Snow properties with Synthetical Aperture Radar Systems
• 03/2009-12/2010: Research in Quantum Optics and Ultracold Gases, ETH Zurich
• 03/2008 - 02/2009: Research assistance in THz Spectroscopy and Colloidal Light Scattering
• 02/2008: Diploma in Physics, University of Konstanz, Emmy Noether Group "Tera". (THz-Time Domain Spectroscopy)
• 04/2005-09/2005: Internship at Lions Eye Institute, Centre for E-Health and biomedical photonics.
• 10/2002-02/2007: Physics student at the University of Konstanz.

Publications

• I. Hajnsek, S.Leinß, "CoReH20: Signature Analysis using TS-X VV & VH", Conference Talk.

• S.Leinß: "Femtosekunden-THz-Spektroskopie und nichtlineare THz-Kontrolle optisch dunkler Exzitonen in Cu2O",
  Diploma thesis, University of Konstanz, February 2008.

• S. Leinß, T. Kampfrath, K. v. Volkmann, B. A. Schmid, D. Fröhlich, M. Wolf, R. A. Kaindl, A. Leitenstorfer, and R. Huber:
  "THz quantum optics with dark excitons in Cu2O: from stimulated emission to nonlinear population control", (pdf)
  physica status solidi (c), vol. 6, Issue 1, 156 - 161 (2009).
• S. Leinß, T. Kampfrath, K. v. Volkmann, M. Wolf, J. T. Steiner, M. Kira, S. W. Koch, A. Leitenstorfer und R. Huber:
  "Terahertz Coherent Control of Optically Dark Paraexcitons in CuO", (pdf)
  Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 246401 (2008).