At constellr, we support global food security by enabling globally scalable high-precision smart farming services. Using proprietary space infrastructure, constellr leads the way in beyond-visual imaging technology to assess vegetation and soil health at an unprecedented level.In my role as CEO of constellr, I oversee overall strategic development and represent constellr to the outside.

Unreasonable Group builds community between entrepreneurs, institutions, and investors to profitably solve pressing global problems. The Unreasonable Fellowship is by invitation only and provides a lifetime of support to select entrepreneurs operating at the nexus of impact and profit. I’m grateful to be part of this lifelong Fellowship and the broader Unreasonable community.

My work at the Fraunhofer EMI encompassed a vast range of different topics, including:(A) The development of noninvasive methodologies for the observation of complex transient phenomena. Amongst other methods, I have developed techniques which allow for the comprehensive analysis of previously inaccessible material characteristics during hypervelocity impacts. This can help us to improve our understanding of stellar formation processes such as asteroids colliding with planets. The approaches are often inspired by adjacent fields such as neurosciences and employ cutting-edge technologies from various technical areas.(B) Satellite payload and mission design. In particular, I specialize in optical payloads and innovative ways to use them. The mission design includes thermal analysis, risk assessment, for example, in view of space debris, as well as power budgeting. The research in this area led to the patented IP now exclusively used by constellr.

Main focus: Simulation of soft-matter systemsConcepts & methods: Molecular dynamics simulations in different programming environments such as gromacs and MATLABBased on data obtained by the previously developed ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction apparatus (see PhD work), we now additionally employ atomistic molecular dynamics simulation to theoretically support the experimental findings. In particular, different polymers and their behaviour when excited far out of equilibrium are investigated.

Main focus: Development of ultrafast low-energy electron diffractionConcepts & methods: Simulation of (electron) optical systems via FEM; concept, CAD-based design and construction of a new experimental apparatus; maintenance of a complex laser system; the combination of know-how in chemistry, theoretical and experimental physics for experimental analysisDriven by the continuous miniaturization of components in current electronics- and chemistry-based applications, the ratio of surface and interface area with respect to encapsulated volume constantly rise. However, this trend is only partially supported in terms of characterization methods, which enable us to follow physical or chemical processes on their respective spatial and temporal time scales. In order to close this gap in instrumentation, we developed ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction, which allows for monolayer-sensitive analysis of surfaces and thin films with nanometer spatial as well as few-picosecond temporal resolution.In particular, we resolved the melting dynamics of a quasi-two-dimensional system of a polymer adsorbed on free-standing graphene. Major findings included a detailed account of the structural properties with hints of a 2D-crystalline phase, and, more generally, a drastically different behaviour of the two-dimensional system with respect to its bulk counterpart.

Main focus: project work in materials scienceConcepts & methods: pump-probe spectroscopyGraphene is a highly-researched two-dimensional material system widely believed to revolutionize material technology. At the Politecnico di Milano, we performed measurements with an ultrahigh temporal resolution of the optical properties of graphene upon excitation to extreme states of matter. In particular, this has led to a more detailed picture of the relaxation dynamics of graphene.

Main focus: theoretical physicsConcepts & methods: analytical and numerical modelling of classical and quantum mechanical systemsCourses in quantum and classical mechanics as well as cosmology. Smaller experimental projects, e.g. on the quantum Hall effect.

Main focus: project work in materials scienceConcepts & methods: (grazing-incidence) x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopyAmongst other materials, vanadium dioxide exhibits an insulator-to-metal transition, when heated beyond a threshold temperature. In this project, we investigated this mechanism by means of grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction, which led to a better understanding of the structural influence of the sample preparation process.