Patent ID: 8081670

Claim:
A system for controllably chirping electromagnetic radiation, the system comprising: at least one optical element that forms an optical cavity; a frequency shifter disposed within the optical cavity, wherein the frequency shifter receives electromagnetic radiation from the optical cavity, and outputs a frequency shifted portion of the received electromagnetic radiation back to the optical cavity; and an optical switch disposed within the optical cavity, the optical switch having an input coupled to the optical cavity that receives electromagnetic radiation from the optical cavity, the optical switch having a first output and a second output, and the optical switch being configured in a first state to dump substantially all of the received electromagnetic radiation from the input away form the optical cavity via the first output, and the optical switch being configured in a second state to return substantially all of the received electromagnetic radiation from the input back to the optical cavity via the second output, Wherein, while the optical switch is configured in the second state, the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation within the optical cavity linearly shifts further and further away form the initial frequency as the electromagnetic radiation is circulated through the optical cavity, and wherein the optical switch is configured in the first state for a period of time that is greater than or substantially equal to a period of time required for electromagnetic radiation to travel the optical length of the optical cavity thereby returning the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation within the optical cavity to the initial frequency.