Periodic structures for scalable high-power microwave transmitters

High-power microwave (HPM) sources play an important role in applications including RF acceleration, radar, and telecommunications. However, these applications are often limited by weight and the cost. A novel highly scalable two-dimensional high-power microwave source is proposed in this paper. The idea is to first charge the periodic resonating structure with a DC source. Then, using fast high-power switches, the DC source is replaced with a short-circuit leading to an oscillating state in the structure. These oscillations coherently radiate into the far-field, converting the stored DC energy into the desired microwave frequency.