High‐Resolution LiDAR Observations for Coupled Effects of Dry‐Air Entrainment and Haze‐Cloud Interactions on Cloud Vertical Structure

Abstract This study demonstrates the high‐resolution profiling of cloud microphysics in a laboratory chamber using Time‐Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) LiDAR. We present a novel retrieval method to derive vertical extinction profiles, constrained by in situ measurements, to diagnose responses to dry‐air entrainment. In clean clouds, the LiDAR signals and retrieved remain relatively uniform, with entrainment effects confined to the upper layer. In contrast, polluted clouds exhibit strong vertical variability and a transition to a water‐vapor‐limited state. Entrainment significantly enhances the haze number concentration , particularly near the bottom, creating highly height‐dependent extinction profiles for polluted clouds. Our results highlight the capability of high‐resolution LiDAR in capturing fine‐scale vertical inhomogeneities. This approach provides a robust framework for quantifying how aerosol loading modulates entrainment sensitivity, offering new insights into the transition between buffered and water‐vapor‐limited regimes.