While we now think of a magnetron as a microwave oven component, they are important in many microwave devices including radar. They are interesting because all they can do is oscillate.

Forged in the fighting of World War II, the cavity magnetron was the heart of radar signals used to identify attacking German forces. The magnetron itself was truly an international effort ...

Magnetrons cause electric charges to oscillate and emit microwaves — a more powerful form of radiation than the radio waves previously used for radar defences. The post-war period saw a ...

Today, Percy Spencer's invention and research into microwave technology is still being used as a jumping off point for further research in radar and magnetron technologies. Different wavelengths ...