A LIDAR system comprising: a laser light source (1, 200, 300, 1110) configured to emit light having a first range of frequencies characterized by a first linewidth along a first optical path; a first optical coupler (4a, 230, 315); a whispering gallery mode optical resonator (4, 240, 320, 400, 415, 430, 460, 510, 560, 1120) that is optically coupled to the laser light source via the first optical coupler to receive the light emitted by the laser light source, wherein the whispering gallery mode optical resonator is configured to provide a whispering gallery mode and return feedback light having a second range of frequencies characterized by a second linewidth, wherein the second linewidth is narrower than the first linewidth, wherein a propagating wave is circulated within the whispering gallery mode optical resonator; a second optical coupler (4b, 250, 325) configured to direct at least a portion of the propagating wave to a reflecting feature (8a, 280, 340) along a second optical path, and to return a light reflected back along the second optical path to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator as a counterpropagating wave, wherein the first optical coupler is additionally configured to direct at least a portion of the counterpropagating wave back along the first optical path to the laser light source as the feedback light, such that the laser light source is locked to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator by optical injection; a transducer (520, 530, 570, 580) coupled to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator and configured to alter an optical property of the whispering gallery mode optical resonator; a controller (540, 1045) that is operationally coupled to the transducer, wherein the controller is configured to modulate the transducer so as to cause the laser light source to be locked to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator to output an optical chirp (7, 290, 345, 810, 910) via the first optical coupler; a transmission assembly (1030, 1150) configured to transmit the optical chirp outputted from the first optical coupler out from the LIDAR system; and a receiver assembly (1030, 1150) configured to receive a reflected optical chirp (720, 820); and a processor configured to determine position of an external object relative to the LIDAR system on the basis of a characterization of the reflected chirp. a laser light source (1, 200, 300, 1110) configured to emit light having a first range of frequencies characterized by a first linewidth along a first optical path; a first optical coupler (4a, 230, 315); a whispering gallery mode optical resonator (4, 240, 320, 400, 415, 430, 460, 510, 560, 1120) that is optically coupled to the laser light source via the first optical coupler to receive the light emitted by the laser light source, wherein the whispering gallery mode optical resonator is configured to provide a whispering gallery mode and return feedback light having a second range of frequencies characterized by a second linewidth, wherein the second linewidth is narrower than the first linewidth, wherein a propagating wave is circulated within the whispering gallery mode optical resonator; a second optical coupler (4b, 250, 325) configured to direct at least a portion of the propagating wave to a reflecting feature (8a, 280, 340) along a second optical path, and to return a light reflected back along the second optical path to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator as a counterpropagating wave, wherein the first optical coupler is additionally configured to direct at least a portion of the counterpropagating wave back along the first optical path to the laser light source as the feedback light, such that the laser light source is locked to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator by optical injection; a transducer (520, 530, 570, 580) coupled to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator and configured to alter an optical property of the whispering gallery mode optical resonator; a controller (540, 1045) that is operationally coupled to the transducer, wherein the controller is configured to modulate the transducer so as to cause the laser light source to be locked to the whispering gallery mode optical resonator to output an optical chirp (7, 290, 345, 810, 910) via the first optical coupler; a transmission assembly (1030, 1150) configured to transmit the optical chirp outputted from the first optical coupler out from the LIDAR system; and a receiver assembly (1030, 1150) configured to receive a reflected optical chirp (720, 820); and a processor configured to determine position of an external object relative to the LIDAR system on the basis of a characterization of the reflected chirp.