A refrigeration system capable of providing cooling during at least a portion of a repeatable refrigeration cycle, the refrigeration system comprising at least one sorber (12) having a housing (66) forming an enclosure, a sorbent (104) located within the enclosure, an evaporator (42) in fluid communication with the enclosure, a condenser (38) in fluid communication with both the enclosure and the evaporator (42), wherein a sorbate is evaporated in the evaporator (42) to provide a cooling effect and then adsorbed by the sorbent (104), an electromagnetic wave generator (16, 278), a waveguide coupler (14, 288) for coupling electromagnetic waves generated by the generating means (16, 278) to the sorber (12), wherein during a desorb portion of the refrigeration cycle the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbent (104) by the electromagnetic waves and then condensed in the condenser (38), wherein the desorption of the sorbate from the sorbent (104) is primarily isothermal, and a controller (26) for controlling the operation of the generator (16, 278), wherein the generator (16, 278) is selectively activated and deactivated to initiate and terminate, respectively, the desorb portion of the refrigeration cycle.