Abstract
Microwave sources are central to modern technologies ranging from radar and directed energy to medical applications, yet conventional electronic approaches face long-standing trade-offs between output power and tunability. Optoelectronic techniques offer a promising alternative by combining the broad bandwidth of optical systems with the high power-handling capability of wide-bandgap semiconductors. Here we show an optoelectronic microwave source based on fast-response silicon carbide, enabling picosecond-scale control of photogenerated carrier lifetime while sustaining power-handling capacities up to 55 MW. The system generates continuously tunable pulsed microwave emission across the P–L band, delivering peak output power exceeding 1 MW over the 0.25–1.3 GHz range and exhibiting stable nanosecond-scale pulse operation. The generated pulses exhibit low timing jitter and highly efficient power combining in array operation. These results demonstrate a scalable route toward high-power, broadband, and flexible microwave sources, enabling applications that demand simultaneous control over frequency, energy, and spatial distribution.
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The source data generated in this study have been deposited in the Figshare database under accession code https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30963374.
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All codes used in this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request.
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Acknowledgements
The work was supported in part by a Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 62434010, awarded to T. X.), the National Key R&D Program (Grant No. 2024YFE0102400, awarded to H. J.), and the Hunan Provincial Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2025JJ20065, awarded to T. X.). We would like to thank Dr. Yanran Gu and Dr. Ting He for the sincere help and support on the fabrication and test.
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T.X., L.W., and Jun Z. conceived the idea of using linear control of photonic semiconductors to generate high-power microwaves. X.N., H.Y., and Jiande Z. contributed to the theoretical simulation models. B.Z., Jing H., and J.Y. developed the laser source platform. X.N., M.Y., and Junpu L. were responsible for the system link setup and testing. X.N., H.J., and Q.Z. drafted the main sections of the manuscript. Jinliang L. and Jiande Z. contributed to the data processing and analysis. B.J., Juntao H., and X.X. coordinated the experimental instruments, progress, and site management.
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Niu, X., Wang, L., Zhang, B. et al. A pulsed optoelectronic microwave source with high power and frequency tunability. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69582-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69582-y
