Patent ID: 8546762

Claim:
A method for carrying out time-domain measurements, comprising the steps of: a) providing an optical pulse source and a transmitter which generates electro-magnetic pulses upon receipt of pulses of the optical pulse source; b) providing a coherent detector for detecting the electro-magnetic pulses and/or an electro-magnetic signal evoked by the electro-magnetic pulses; c) providing a delay line periodically changing the optical path length between the optical pulse source and the coherent detector and/or between the optical pulse source and the transmitter by periodically moving an optical element of the delay line; d) determining the position of the optical element using a position sensor; e) smoothing the data generated by the position sensor; f) detecting the electro-magnetic signal evoked by the electro-magnetic pulses using the coherent detector, wherein pulses of the optical pulse source are used to trigger the coherent detector; and g) determining the time-dependency of the electro-magnetic pulses and/or of the electro-magnetic signal evoked by the electro-magnetic pulses using signals generated by the coherent detector upon receipt of the electro-magnetic pulses and/or the electro-magnetic signal and the smoothed position sensor data.