Abstract The article introduces a database of light backscattering matrices calculated for all typical ice crystal shapes of cirrus clouds, excluding particle aggregates. The particles are assumed to be randomly oriented. A unique feature of this database, compared to existing ones, is that it provides solutions for the entire range of particle sizes from 0.1 to 10,000 μm for all three most commonly used lidar wavelengths: 0.355, 0.532, and 1.064 μm. Such a database is crucial for developing algorithms to interpret laser sounding data of cirrus clouds using both ground‐based and spaceborne lidars. The database is available in open access in a simple text format to facilitate its use by a broad spectrum of scientists.

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