This article presents results of theoretical and experimental
studies on the production of ultrashort (a few RF cycles duration)
microwave pulses of gigawatt peak powers based on superradiance
from high-current electron beams. With the Cherenkov
backward-wave–electron-beam interaction in a low-dispersion
slow-wave structure, microwave pulses with a peak power greater
than the peak power of the driving electron beam have been produced
for the first time. In an experiment using the SINUS-150 compact
high-current electron accelerator, with a 2.6-kA injected beam
current and a 330-kV electron energy, microwave pulses of 1.2
GW peak power and ∼0.5 ns duration (FWHM) were generated
in the X-band. Production of superradiance pulses in a repetitive
regime (3500 Hz) in the Ka-band has been demonstrated using
a compact hybrid SOS-modulator. The effect of spatial accumulation
of microwave energy in extended slow-wave structures with
substantially nonuniform coupling has been demonstrated. In
an experiment using the SINUS-200 compact accelerator, X-band
pulses of ∼3 GW peak power and 0.6–0.7 ns width (FWHM)
were produced with a power conversion efficiency of 150–180%
and an energy efficiency of ∼15%.