Wide-Range Frequency-Agile Microwave Generation up to 10 GHz Based on Vanadium-Compensated 4H-SiC Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch

A frequency-agile microwave generating system is examined in this letter. Vanadium-compensated semi-insulation (VCSI) 4H-SiC photoconductive semi- conductor switch (PCSS) has been introduced to achieve wide-range frequency tuning. The output microwave frequency is tuned by adjusting the pulse width of the laser. Both the simulation and the experimental results show a tuning frequency range of 0.5 GHz to 10.0 GHz. The maximum operating output power of the system at 10 GHz is 1.13 W, equivalent to a charging voltage of 1.5 kV and a modulated light wavelength of 1064 nm. Further experiment revealed that with 355 nm laser and charging voltage of 5 kV, the output power could be increased to 86.5 kW.