A method includes generating a transmit beam in different intervals of time and directing the transmit beam towards an area or object of interest. The method also includes receiving a receive beam that includes the transmit beam as reflected from the area or object of interest. The method further includes generating local oscillator (LO) laser light. The transmit beam and the LO laser light are frequency-shifted such that the transmit beam has a higher frequency than the LO laser light in a first subset of the intervals and a lower frequency than the LO laser light in a second subset of the intervals. In addition, the method includes processing the LO laser light and the receive beam to identify information about the area or object of interest.