Detector apparatus and method for operating a detector apparatus

A method for operating a detector apparatus, the method comprising the following steps:

• generating a laser beam by a laser device of the detector apparatus, wherein a beam-splitting device of the laser device generates a plurality of non-collinear measurement laser beams and emits the plurality of non-collinear measurement laser beams in predefined directions;
• receiving the measurement laser beams scattered by particles in the surroundings of the detector apparatus by a receiving device, and generating a measurement signal;
• and
• evaluating the measurement signal by an evaluation device;
• wherein one of:
• (i) the detector apparatus is operated for two-dimensional detection and the plurality of non-collinear measurement laser beams includes at least three measurement laser beams, or (ii) wherein the detector apparatus is operated for three-dimensional detection and the plurality of non-collinear measurement laser beams includes at least six measurement laser beams.