US Patent 9025160 Spectral phase analysis for precision ranging

Interferometric path length measurements using frequency-domain interferometry form the basis of several measurement techniques, including optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and lidar. A phase-sensitive and self-referenced approach to frequency-domain interferometry yields absolute and relative path length measurements with axial precision orders of magnitude better than the transform-limited axial resolution of the system.