An optoelectronic microwave source with high power and frequency tunability

Microwave sources are widely employed in communication, radar, and directed energy systems. However, conventional microwave sources based on electronic techniques often struggle to balance multi-parameter tunability and high output power, thereby limiting their application scope. To overcome this limitation, this study integrates optoelectronic approaches into microwave source systems, leveraging the broad bandwidth of lasers and the high power-handling capabilities of wide-bandgap semiconductors. In the proposed optoelectronic microwave source (OEMS), fast-response silicon carbide (SiC) enables precise control of carrier lifetime across the 10–100 ps range, while the device demonstrates a high-power capacity of 55 MW. The OEMS delivers a broadband photoelectric response across the P–L band, with peak-to-peak output power exceeding 1 MW over the 0.25–1.3 GHz frequency range and a relative bandwidth of 135%. This represents the highest reported performance to date in terms of combined output power and bandwidth. Additionally, it exhibits low timing jitter and achieves a power-combining efficiency of 98.62% in a 2×2 array configuration. These results highlight the system's strong potential for further development across the frequency, energy, and spatial domains.